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Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse heist prompts police to force‑question 30 safe‑deposit owners
In the night of 29–30 December 2025, unknown perpetrators drilled a large hole through the wall of the Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen‑Buer’s archive room and opened more than 3 000 customer safe‑deposit boxes. The break‑in, described as a possible “century‑coup”, is estimated to have yielded around €30 million in cash, gold, jewellery and other valuables.
A special police task force of over 300 officers has been investigating the case, receiving about 650 tips and interviewing roughly 1 500 victims. While most deposit owners have been questioned, about 30 individuals have ignored summons issued by the State Prosecutor’s Office in Essen. On the prosecutor’s order, police are now conducting forced visits to those 30 owners to obtain statements.
The damage is assessed in the tens of millions of euros, and authorities continue to examine how the thieves accessed the vault, including the possibility that some may have been customers with inside knowledge.
Entities
Essen Public Prosecutor's Office · Gelsenkirchen · German authorities · Police Gelsenkirchen · Polizei Gelsenkirchen · Safe‑deposit box owners · Sparkasse · Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen · Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen‑Buer · Staatsanwaltschaft Essen · State Prosecutor's Office Essen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The majority of the more than 3,000 cases have completed their police interviews. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de · www.rtl.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] A robbery at a Sparkasse branch in Gelsenkirchen at the end of 2025 broke into more than 3,000 safe‑deposit boxes. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Essen public prosecutor's office ordered police to forcibly bring in about 30 safe‑deposit box owners who missed scheduled interview notices. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de · www.rtl.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 5 SOURCES] Police in Gelsenkirchen have received about 650 tips since the break‑in. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de · www.rtl.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 5 SOURCES] The estimated damage from the robbery is in the two‑ to three‑digit million‑euro range. www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.marler-zeitung.de · www.rtl.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The robbery on the night of 29‑30 December 2025 breached more than 3,000 safe‑deposit boxes at the Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen. crime-nieuws.nl · www.rtl.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A special police investigation team of more than 300 officers is handling the case. crime-nieuws.nl