Using a giant drill, criminals broke into a branch in Gelsenkirchen and emptied more than 3,000 safes.

Robbers held up a bank last weekend in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, causing a loss of 30 million euros according to police, and sparking anger among customers on Tuesday morning.

The suspects looted more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes at a branch of the local savings bank, containing cash, jewelry or gold, a spokesman for the Gelsenkirchen police told AFP on Tuesday.

“We are in shock,” bank spokesman Frank Krallmann said in a statement. More than 95% of the vaults were looted.

With an average insured sum of 10,000 euros per safe, investigators estimate the amount of damage at around 30 million euros.

The bank also remained closed on Tuesday "for security reasons" according to the police because several customers, worried about their belongings, gathered Tuesday morning in front of the bank and made "threats" against the employees.

In a video from the newspaper "Bild", several dozen people can be seen trying to force their way into the building despite the presence of the police.

The situation calmed down in the early afternoon, the spokesperson said.

Like in Ocean's Eleven

The method used for the robbery baffled investigators: the thieves drilled a hole in the vault using a giant drill.

"It's like in the movie Ocean's Eleven," the police source summarized, "everything unfolded in a very professional manner."

The robbers also "took advantage of the Christmas lull," police said, as the bank was closed during that period.

The institution announced the closure of the vault "until further notice due to significant material damage."

The bank also stated that it is working with its insurance company to determine the "most favorable outcome for customers" and has set up an emergency hotline. The exact time of the robbery remains uncertain.

According to police, witnesses reportedly saw several men on Saturday night carrying large bags in the stairwell of an adjacent parking lot.

A black Audi with a stolen license plate, driven by masked men, left the same parking lot early Monday morning, according to surveillance videos reviewed by police.

The burglary was discovered on Monday thanks to a fire alarm received by the firefighters.