Safe deposit boxes rifled in Israel’s biggest bank robbery
Hundreds of safe deposit boxes were ransacked at a Tel Aviv bank over the weekend in what is believed to be Israel’s biggest bank robbery.
Thieves pilfered 454 double-locked boxes at the main Tel Aviv branch of Discount Bank between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, said Tel Aviv police spokeswoman Shlumit Herzberg.
A bank official, Michael Ackerman, said he couldn’t yet estimate the amount stolen. Considering the number of safe deposit boxes that were pilfered, Herzberg said she believed it was the biggest bank theft in the country.
Israeli media estimated almost €15.6m had been stolen.
Police said several thieves broke through a three foot thick concrete wall in the bank’s basement and crawled into a room containing 5,000 safe deposit boxes.
They were questioning two armed guards posted at the bank at the time of the theft, but said it was too early to say if it was an inside job.
Bank staff discovered the break-in when they returned to work yesterday. Ackerman said the thieves took mostly cash and left jewellery and other valuables behind.
In July 1999, thieves made off with €6m in shekels from 127 safe deposit boxes at another Tel Aviv bank.
