Following the break-in at a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, investigators have cleared the items confiscated from the vault room for return. The items seized as evidence can now be returned to the victims, Gelsenkirchen police announced on Tuesday. On December 29, unknown perpetrators broke into the bank's vault room and forced open approximately 3,200 safe deposit boxes.
According to investigators, the burglars drilled a hole from a parking garage into the vault room. From the safe deposit boxes, they stole cash, jewelry, and gold, among other valuables. With an insurance coverage of just over ten thousand euros per box, the estimated total damage exceeded 30 million euros. The perpetrators of the break-in have not yet been identified. According to police, extensive investigations continue "at full intensity."
The handover of the previously confiscated items will be organized by Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen, authorities stated. The affected customers, numbering well over 3,000, will be contacted by the bank. No contact with police or prosecutors is necessary.
During the investigation, officers completely sealed off the vault room as a crime scene to conduct comprehensive forensic analysis, according to earlier statements. In January, police spoke of "several hundred thousand items" located there.
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