German police raid bank after attempted robbery, no suspects found inside

German police on Friday freed two people after an attempted bank robbery in the southwestern town of Sinzig and said the suspect or suspects likely fled before the operation began.

Police spokesperson Jurgen Fachinger said special forces evacuated two people from the building during a successful raid. He said a thorough search of the property found no one else inside.

“Consequently, we must proceed on the assumption that the perpetrator or perpetrators left the premises at some point — possibly immediately after the crime,” he told reporters. “The manhunt is already underway—as is standard procedure,” he said.

Police were alerted in the morning after an alarm was triggered at the bank. When officers arrived, they found an armored car parked in front of the entrance, but its driver was not present.

Earlier, authorities said they believed the driver had been taken hostage by the suspect or suspects, and they said they believed “several perpetrators and hostages” remained inside the building. They declined to give further details while the operation was underway.

Police had cordoned off the downtown area, urging residents to stay away and cautioning against spreading unverified information on social media.