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CRIME

‘Absurd’ digger bank robbery fails miserably

When would-be bank robbers tried to loot a cash machine in Thuringia on Sunday morning, they decided the simplest option was to smash their way in with a digger. But the operation didn't go entirely smoothly.

'Absurd' digger bank robbery fails miserably
Thieves tried to rip the cash point from the wall, but left empty-handed. Photo: DPA

At around 5:15am on Sunday, residents in an apartment block in Münchenbernsdorf awoke to the sound of their building being ripped apart.

“Everything was wobbling and vibrating,” a shaken resident told Thüringer Allgemeine (TA).

Unidentified criminals had stolen a digger from a nearby firm and driven it to the town's new Geraer Bank branch, where they tried to rip the entire cash machine free of the wall, reports MDR Thüringen.

All six of the building's residents got themselves to safety and alerted police, while the town's voluntary fire service was notified at 5:30am.

But despite causing an estimated €50,000 worth of damage to the two-storey building, the thieves left empty-handed.

“No money is missing,” said Hendrik Ziegenbein, head of the bank's executive committee.

The break-in attempt was “absurd,” fire service officer-in-charge Martin Lailach told TA.

No-one was injured in the attempted burglary – but residents were evacuated while structural engineers surveyed the building and confirmed its stability.

Further examinations will take place this week.

“The bank isn't opening on Monday. All appointments are being cancelled,” Ziegenbein told TA.

Police are still on the hunt for the hapless would-be bank robbers.

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BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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