German Savings Bank Chief Says 140 Deposit Boxes Unaffected by Heist

The head of the savings bank Sparkasse in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen that was hit by a major burglary five weeks ago said that 140 safe-deposit box customers were not affected by the massive break-in.

The savings deposit boxes of those customers had not been forced open, Michael Klotz told public broadcaster WDR during a town-hall discussion in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday evening.

He said the bank would start making appointments with these customers in about 10 days time so they could regain access to the contents of their boxes.

In the break-in, unknown perpetrators forced open more than 3,000 safe-deposit boxes in the vault after drilling a hole through a thick concrete wall. The burglars fled with gold, cash and other valuables, possibly amounting to tens or even hundreds of millions or euros.

Police are now pursuing more than 600 leads, Gelsenkirchen police chief Tim Frommeyer said on the programme, but some in the audience were not placated.

“Where have you been until now?” a customer asked. Several affected customers used the programme to criticize the savings bank’s communication, saying they had been informed far too late after the break-in.

KIotz said the plan was to open the savings bank straight after the crime became known and talk to those affected, but the rush on the bank was too much, he said. They had feared the situation would escalate, the savings bank chief said.

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Lawsuits alleging insufficient security measures are in the works. Klotz did not comment on those, only saying that the lawsuits had not yet been served on the bank.

He said he could not disclose details of the security measures, as they would also provide useful information for the perpetrators. The burglary and fire alarm systems in the savings bank’s buildings had been updated in the past two years, Klotz said.