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Since the beginning of 2026, Germany has seen a series of high-profile robberies of Sparkasse banks, causing serious concern among security experts and the public. Over the course of several weeks, unknown perpetrators carried out at least three daring attacks on bank branches in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The first two incidents occurred during the holiday season, and the last one during business hours, which in itself indicates the growing professionalism and audacity of the criminals.
Since there are no leads, some experts believe that the perpetrators purchased tools, rental cars, and supplies with cryptocurrency. This was done in order to hide any traces of preparation for the crime. Cryptocurrency is difficult to trace, so people who want to remain anonymous often use it for various purposes, including criminal activities. The unusual series of robberies and the lack of direct evidence of the perpetrators' whereabouts complicate the work of the police and force law enforcement agencies to work with a lot of indirect evidence and testimony.
The largest robbery took place at the end of December in Gelsenkirchen: the criminals drilled a hole in the concrete wall of the bank from the parking lot side, broke into the vault, and broke into more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes, stealing cash, jewelry, and other valuables worth tens of millions of euros. According to various estimates, the amount of damage ranges from €30 million to around €100 million, making this incident one of the largest bank robberies in modern German history. Thousands of customers have been affected, many of whom are now demanding both explanations and compensation payments, including for moral damages.
A few days earlier, unknown individuals broke into safes at another Sparkasse branch in the state, and the police received a report of a third robbery during business hours in the city of Halle near Bielefeld. There, the perpetrators opened several safe deposit boxes, also belonging to bank customers, without any apparent obstacles and disappeared without a trace.
German law enforcement agencies have set up special teams to investigate this series of crimes. Investigators are checking various versions, including the involvement of organized groups of thieves with extensive modern technical expertise. Meanwhile, there is a growing atmosphere of anxiety among the public and the banking community, as impunity and the lack of real leads allow criminals to feel confident. Renowned security experts are calling on banks to review their security systems and use modern and advanced technologies to protect vaults and safe deposit boxes in order to restore customer confidence.
The series of robberies has sparked widespread discussion about the protection of financial institutions, the security of customer data, and the role of digital technologies in criminal schemes. Governments and law enforcement agencies are already expressing concern that similar incidents could recur unless there are significant changes in the practices and security systems of banking facilities.
