Thieves drilled through the wall of a bank vault in western Germany, stealing cash and valuables worth an estimated 30 million euros ($35 million), authorities said.

The robbery took place in the building of A savings bank in Gelsenkirchen was burglarized on Monday, December 29, according to a press release shared by the Gelsenkirchen police. Police reported that thousands of safety deposit boxes were broken into, and initial estimates put the damage in the tens of millions of euros. According to authorities, the perpetrators took advantage of the quiet of the Christmas holidays to drill into a vault. The fire alarm was triggered around 4:00 am, and emergency services searching the building eventually located the hole in the basement. A police spokesperson told the German news agency DW News that the loss is estimated at around 30 million euros and that the robbery appears to have required extensive planning. Authorities believe the thieves accessed the bank through a parking garage before escaping with the stolen goods. In an updated press release, police indicated that witnesses reported seeing several men with “large bags” on the parking garage stairs overnight. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage which, according to the statement, shows a black Audi RS 6 leaving the parking garage early Monday morning. Police indicated that masked individuals can be seen inside the vehicle, one of them manipulating the exit barrier. They added that the vehicle's license plate indicates it was stolen in Hanover, about 150 miles (233 kilometers) from Gelsenkirchen. A police spokesperson told AFP that the robbery was “truly executed with great professionalism,” comparing it to the heist film “Ocean's Eleven.” “It must have involved a great deal of prior knowledge and/or a great deal of criminal energy to plan and carry this out.”He stated.

Around 2,700 customers were affected by the robbery, according to police and Sparkasse bank.