This is the moment bank robbers showed bizarre criminal courtesy by paying for their parking – moments after stealing millions in one of the biggest heists in German history.
Last week, a group of thieves drilled into the vault of the Sparkasse bank in Buer, a suburb of Gelsenkirchen, stealing roughly £30,000,000 worth of gold, cash, jewellery and other personal belongings.
They gained entry through a car park before prying open several doors and obliterating the vault’s 18-inch concrete wall with a 42cm thick drill.
Footage shows a masked man in a grey jumper and balaclava casually feeding coins into a parking meter, dropping them in one by one with almost comical patience.
Moments later, he returns to put more money in the machine, making sure he pays the correct amount.
A different clip shows another member of the group lifting up the parking barrier for his accomplice in a white Mercedes van.
He then does this again to let a black car into the parking complex.
Authorities revealed the clips were originally shared in a WhatsApp group set up by the robbery’s victims.
At least 2,5000 people banking with Sparkasse were affected, with officials advising customers to assume their belongings were stolen.
The break-in went undetected for days and the police were only alerted on Monday morning when a fire alarm was triggered inside the bank.
Investigators believe the robbery took place during the Christmas holidays or the weekend before.
When emergency services arrived, they found a massive hole drilled through the vault wall.
Investigators say the masked gang, of two or three people, entered the bank through the parking garage.
Once inside, they used professional-grade equipment to drill the reinforced concrete wall to access the vault.
They then emptied most of the 3,300 safety deposit boxes rented to 2,700 customers for several hours.
Experts estimate the operation would have taken between two and four hours.
Witnesses saw a group of men carrying large bags in the stairwell of a connecting car park and boarding a black Audi RS6 with a stolen Hanover licence plate on Saturday night.
Each lock box is insured for up to €10,300, meaning the insurance claim could amount to as much as €33,990,000 (£30,000,000), according to the Bild.
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