The stolen items are estimated to be worth a double-digit million euro sum, according to Reuters.
Thieves reportedly took advantage of the quiet Christmas period in Germany to drill into the vault of a German retail bank and steal at least 10 million euros’ worth of cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, the police said.
According to police, the perpetrators drilled through a thick concrete wall at a branch of Sparkasse bank in the western city of Gelsenkirchen before breaking into several thousand safe deposit boxes.
The stolen items are estimated to be worth a double-digit million euro sum, according to Reuters.
Most shops and banks in Germany close over the Christmas period, starting from the evening of December 24.
Police said the crime only came to light in the early hours of Monday, December 29, after a fire alarm was triggered, leading officers to discover the hole in the vault wall.
On Tuesday, dozens of angry customers gathered outside the affected bank branch, chanting “Let us in!” as they demanded information about their missing valuables.
One customer reportedly said, “I couldn’t sleep last night. We’re getting no information,” adding that he had used the safe deposit box for 25 years and that it contained his savings for old age.
Another customer said he stored cash and jewellery belonging to his family in his deposit box.
A spokesperson for Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Police said witnesses reported seeing several men on Saturday night carrying large bags in the stairwell of an adjacent parking garage.
There were also reports of a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday morning with masked men inside.
Investigators added that the vehicle’s licence plate belonged to a car that had been stolen in Hanover, more than 200 kilometres northeast of Gelsenkirchen.
The investigation into the heist is ongoing.