At least five bank vault robberies have occurred in Germany in two months
According to DW, the robbery took place on Friday around noon. Unknown perpetrators entered the basement through a light well and broke into the safe deposit boxes at the branch on Blockener Street. The amount of damage is currently unknown, as the contents of the boxes are confidential banking information.
During the break-in, the perpetrators sprayed an unknown liquid in the basement. At around 3:30 p.m., branch employees reported feeling unwell and nauseous. Rescuers and medics were called to the scene, two employees were treated, and the premises were evacuated. At the same time, measurements did not detect any excessive concentrations of hazardous substances.
Witnesses saw three people in blue overalls, presumably men, walking from the bank to a black car. However, eyewitnesses could not confirm whether the suspects got into the car or walked past it. The police are searching for them.
The robbery in Stuhr was the latest in a series of attacks on bank vaults in Germany. On 17 December 2025, two safes were broken into at a Sparkasse branch in the centre of Bonn and valuables, mainly gold, were stolen. A 22-year-old former bank employee was suspected in this case, and his home was searched, but he was not detained due to lack of evidence.
On 29 December, the Sparkasse security service in Gelsenkirchen discovered that approximately 3,200 deposit boxes containing money, gold and other valuables had been broken into. The perpetrators gained access to the vault from the adjacent car park by breaking through a wall. According to some estimates, the losses may exceed €100 million, and the robbery itself is considered one of the largest in the history of Germany. Investigators found license plates, presumably from the robbers' car, and continue to interview thousands of victims.
On 30 December, four safe deposit boxes were broken into during business hours at a bank branch on a street near the train station in Halle. And on 29 January, thieves broke into 18 more boxes at a Sparkasse branch in Wilhelmshaven. Investigators are currently trying to determine whether all these incidents are related.
