1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
CrimeGermany

Germany: Hostages freed at bank after suspects flee scene

May 8, 2026

A siege is over after armed suspects took bank employees hostage after intercepting a cash transport in Germany. Police sealed off the area, but the suspects were not found after having fled the scene.

Police outside the bank
Police have sealed off the area and said there was no danger to people outsideImage: Thomas Frey/dpa/picture alliance

Police on Friday said a hostage situation was over at a bank in the western German town of Sinzig, with no injuries. 

Suspects were no longer at the scene when special forces searched the building, officers said, with two hostages locked in a vault room who were freed unharmed.

What do we know about the incident?

Among the hostages is the driver of a cash transport vehicle. A man had approached the employee outside the bank at about 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT/UTC), threatened him, and forced him inside, with both believed to be in the vault area, according to media reports.

Authorities sealed off the entire downtown area and called in special forces. 

The center of Sinzig was cordoned off on Friday Image: Sascha Ditscher/dpa/picture alliance

Police said they were being very cautious with information, in part because "someone could possibly be listening in." 

Jürgen Fachinger, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Koblenz, had said earlier that there were no indications of dead or injured parties. He did not say whether police or other authorities had made contact with the hostage takers.

According to the police, no customers were among the hostages. 

Edited by: Wesley Rahn, Dmytro Hubenko

Richard Connor Reporting on stories from around the world, with a particular focus on Europe — especially Germany.
Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW