Germany’s most spectacular bank heist in years shocked the town of Gelsenkirchen. Over a quiet weekend just after Christmas, thieves used an industrial drill to bore a hole into the vault wall of a Sparkasse bank. They accessed more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes and stole millions of euros. Police believe the gang entered through a damaged door linking a nearby car park to the bank. They drilled a 40cm hole into the strongroom in the bank's basement. The theft happened between December 27 and 29. On December 27 at 6:00 am, a fire alarm was triggered at the bank. Firefighters and police arrived but found no fire or damage and left. Experts now say the alarm came from the vault but was mistaken for a false alarm. Between 10:45 am and 2:44 pm, nearly all the boxes were opened. Some witnesses saw men with large bags in the car park stairwell that night. Authorities estimate the stolen sum could be up to €100 million. The crime was only discovered on December 29 when another fire alarm went off. Firefighters found the bank vault ransacked, with more than 500,000 items strewn and damaged by water and chemicals. About 200 angry clients gathered outside the bank demanding answers. Many had lost life savings, cash, and priceless family jewellery. One victim said, "I cried with rage." Lawyers have started suing the bank over security. The bank claims it used state-of-the-art security and says each box is insured up to €10,300. Interior Minister Herbert Reul said the trusted system failed. He asked, "Why did no one hear the drill? Was it an insider job?" Germany's police chief called it "one of the biggest criminal cases" in North Rhine-Westphalia's history. The case has shaken public trust in banks and raised tough questions about security and accountability. The theft has even sparked political controversies, highlighting fears that institutions are failing to protect citizens’ valuables.