Police in northern Germany are investigating a break-in at a bank in the town of Stuhr, Lower Saxony, where burglars targeted several safe-deposit boxes. Authorities said on Saturday that the perpetrators have not yet been identified and it remains unclear what was stolen.
According to police, the bank has a total of 728 safe-deposit boxes, 14 of which were broken into during the incident. The remaining boxes were not damaged. A police spokesperson told Germany’s DPA news agency that officials could not confirm what may have been taken. “We can't say anything about the contents,” the spokesperson said. “We don't know what the bank customers had stored there.”
Investigators believe the break-in occurred between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. local time. Witnesses reported seeing three men wearing blue overalls walking toward a car parked outside the bank around midday.
The incident was discovered when a bank employee returned from her lunch break and went to the basement, where she noticed a strong, pungent smell that caused nausea. Emergency responders were called to the scene and found an unknown liquid on the doors of the affected area. Authorities later stated that the substance did not pose a health risk.
Two bank employees were treated by emergency services, according to regional public broadcaster NDR. Police continue to investigate the case and have not released further details regarding potential suspects or losses. The break-in follows a separate bank heist in Gelsenkirchen in December, in which approximately €30 million was stolen.
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