2025-12-31 06:25:34

The lingering warmth of the Christmas holiday has not yet faded, and the streets of Gelsenkirchen, an industrial city in western Germany, still sparkle with festive lights. But on the morning of December 30th, a shocking scene unfolded at a local bank—an adult-sized circular hole was suddenly visible in the vault wall, and over 95% of the 3,200 safes had been looted, with losses reaching 30 million euros (about 3.3 billion TWD).

This was not a movie scene, but a real-life event. A highly organized and well-equipped criminal group carried out this "vault attack and defense" in just a few hours.

**Seemingly Perfect "Scalpel" Method of Crime**

Police investigations revealed the details of the case. The criminals approached from a blind spot in the adjacent parking lot, using a 20-kilogram industrial-grade drill. They equipped themselves with cooling water hoses and pumps, spending several hours to drill through 45 centimeters of reinforced concrete protective layer.

After entering the vault, the group demonstrated astonishing coordination—like an assembly line—working continuously for three days to open a large number of safes. The entire process involved no gunfire or violent conflict, only the low-frequency vibrations of the drill piercing through the night. The police described this scene with a somewhat ironic comment: "It’s like special forces doing engineering."

In the early hours of December 27th, everything quietly began. No one knew that this meticulously planned operation had already started.

**A Wake-up Call for Financial Security**

This incident has once again sparked deep reflection on asset security. Looking back at recent cases—OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s ex-boyfriend was robbed at gunpoint, with $11 million worth of BTC and ETH stolen; a 21-year-old in Russia even attempted to rob an exchange with a fake hand grenade and was caught on the spot. These events point to a harsh reality: whether traditional finance or digital assets, the defenses protecting wealth are under severe test.

The German bank heist is especially worth warning about. It reminds us that even seemingly impregnable physical vaults may not be safe in the face of professional teams with sophisticated plans and industrial-grade tools. For asset owners, relying on a single security measure may no longer be enough.

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SchrodingerAirdrop

· 10h ago

Damn, 30 million euros just disappeared like that? This defense is too weak. Really? Is this team still hiring? Can we collaborate? Traditional vaults are like this, who still dares to store paper assets? It’s better to go on-chain. This is even more outrageous than some exchanges being hacked; at least exchanges can freeze on-chain assets. How long does it take for German police to solve a case? I bet they can’t find anyone in a month. Feels more intense than a movie plot—drilling for three days and nights, the professionalism is unbelievable. Are the self-managed employees blind? Did no one notice? Diversifying assets is the way to go; you can’t put all your eggs in one vault, everyone.

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FOMOrektGuy

· 13h ago

Bro, your skills are really amazing. You drained the vault in just three days... Now I seriously doubt whether I should also tighten up the bad coins I stored in the bank. Honestly, this makes me think that nothing is more secure than holding your own wallet. Centralized exchanges and banks now feel less reliable. Why does it seem like robbing a bank these days is more professional than hacking code? The special forces praise is spot on haha, if it were me, I’d just run away directly. 33 billion TWD just disappeared like that... Damn, I’m so scared I need to check if these people have their eyes on me.

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BlockchainDecoder

· 13h ago

According to studies, the key to this case lies in the single point failure of the protection system. From a technical perspective, a 45-centimeter concrete protective layer combined with traditional monitoring systems has an inherent flaw—lack of a dynamic defense mechanism. Notably, data shows that 95% of safes are breached, reflecting a deeper issue: the disconnect between physical security and information security. Let's get back to the essence, set aside sensational statements, and analyze calmly—why are traditional vaults so vulnerable against industrial-grade tools? The answer may lie in the outdated design logic of the protection system itself. Citing fundamental principles from security architecture, the core of multi-layer defense is not how thick each protective layer is, but the responsiveness and coordination between layers. This provides insights for crypto asset management—relying solely on cold wallets, multi-signature, or single addresses also carries similar risks. In summary, whether digital or physical assets, a decentralized storage + real-time monitoring + rapid response triple defense framework is the inevitable choice of the moment.

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GrayscaleArbitrageur

· 13h ago

It's truly incredible. 30 million euros just disappeared like that, and it feels like the vault isn't even safe. They drilled a hole and emptied it in three days—these guys are so professional... I'm scared. It seems like physical assets also need to be prepared with multiple layers. Why are some people still using imitation hand grenades to rob exchanges? What's wrong with their brains? Honestly, it's unpreventable. They have their equipment right there. This makes me realize I need to diversify risks. Single-point protection is definitely not enough. How long would it take to plan such an operation? It's terrifying to think about. I never thought about drilling into concrete like that... Sigh, it's better to rely on multi-signature wallets. You can't put everything in one place.

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OnlyUpOnly

· 13h ago

Buddy, this is truly a special forces level of operation. They can drill through 45 centimeters of concrete at will, this level of protection is way too basic. Cold wallets are really the best, aren't they? 30 million euros just disappeared like that, it feels like the "security" of traditional finance is really an illusion. Money is unsafe anywhere, it's better to deploy across multiple chains. This operation is so professional, it feels more reliable than some exchanges' security haha. Looks like I need to rethink my savings strategy; I can't go all in on one place. They even dared to move physical vaults, who still claims their assets are 100% safe now? Wow, how does a team like this exist, it’s like something out of The Matrix. I just want to know what's inside these 3,200 safes; it probably isn't all cash, right? What does this tell us? Self-custody might actually be safer. The person commanding this operation must be incredibly skilled, working nonstop for three days with such precision. This German case must be making many wealthy people lose sleep haha.

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