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Photo: DPA

Thieves dynamite ATM, blow up bank

Published: 24 Sep 12 11:45 CET | Print version
Updated: 24 Sep 12 14:03 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120924-45157.html

German thieves made an explosive miscalculation on Sunday night when trying to blow open cash machine – they used so much dynamite they destroyed the bank – but managed to escape with the ATM.

Parts of the Sparkasse bank were flung more than 80 metres across the street, damaging two neighbouring buildings, the Westfälische Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Monday.

Despite their misjudgement, the suspects appeared to have left the scene with the cash machine as police confirmed to The Local, it was missing.

The suspects probably used far too much dynamite, police in Nottuln, near Münster North-Rhine Westphalia said on Monday.

No information has been released on how much money was in the machine, but the blast has caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage.

The flats above the bank are uninhabitable a police spokesman said, and engineers will be brought in to determine whether the entire building will have to be demolished.

DAPD/The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

13:20 September 24, 2012 by authun
Journalism 101: When did this happen (on Sunday)? The middle of the night, or?
13:39 September 24, 2012 by wood artist
Look for a pair of guys named Butch and Sundance.

wa
14:43 September 24, 2012 by michael4096
Or a bunch of Brits driving around Italy in minis...
17:43 September 24, 2012 by ebbelwoiguy
Since the suspects are still unidentified, why are they deemed German?
21:19 September 24, 2012 by GiG-DaDDy
This is an act of terrorism & they call them thieves?

Are you serious?
21:46 September 24, 2012 by zameenzad
@ GiG-DaDDy

How can we call them terrorists, they are not Muslims.

We even do not call Anders Behring Breivik as terrorist. If a terrostit is not a Muslim then he is just an innocent thief or mentally unbalanced innocent person.
21:50 September 24, 2012 by Rana Imran
world is still trying to define ''terrorism'' even its clear....
23:25 September 24, 2012 by jg.
Terrorism is usually defined as violence or threats of violence to intimidate others for some political or idealogical goal. No such goal is apparent in the bombing of the bank.
10:05 September 25, 2012 by GiG-DaDDy
They don't have to be called Muslims or anything, using any amount of explosives is an act of terrorism in a civilian environment, especially knowing when people are living above the bank. I think that brushing it off as "miscalculated thieves" is irresponsible to say the least.

You mean to tell me, you feel safe knowing that there are a number of unknown persons running around, bombing civilian structures is, normal?
15:35 September 25, 2012 by Berlin fuer alles
Modern day Robin Hood maybe. Rob from the banks and give to those suffering austerity.
17:45 September 25, 2012 by almorr
They are not a modern day Robin Hood, they robbed this bank to steal money to help themselves, not help the poor, they are so desperate for gelt that they will use dynamite to blow the safe, they probably will spend the money on drugs or cigarettes to feed their habit, certainly NOT to give to those suffering austerity.
15:59 September 26, 2012 by TheWonderer
German papers reported they did not use dynamit but gas - and it looks like they "just" miscalculated.

Terrorism or murder requires an intention to affect human beings - which was probably not the case. Looks more like collateral damage - which is bad enough and will be punished in case they get arrested.

TheWonderer
14:59 October 7, 2012 by scottfree
Just to set the record straight. In German you might say "Sunday night" but in English it should read "Saturday night". One of my pet peeves, since I still must stop and think about which night Germans are referring to. Unless of course it is going to happen tonight, or was last week.

And jeez people... terrorism? Can't someone just be a plain ol' thief?
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