Police are investigating links between the Hatton Garden gems heist and a strikingly similar raid on a Berlin bank two years ago . German detectives have been ‘ closely monitoring developments ’ in the £60 million London case and are expected to make contact with Scotland Yard this week . In particular , they are keen to find out whether any DNA was recovered from the scene of the Easter weekend raid and , crucially , whether it matches forensic samples found in a tunnel used in a £8.3 million robbery at the Volksbank in Steglitz , Berlin , in January 2013 . The culprits behind the Hatton Garden raid ( pictured ) may have carried out a similarly audacious burglary just two years earlier in Berlin , it has emerged . In a case which has strikingly similar traits to the £60m heist in London , thieves targeted 294 security vaults during a break-in at the Volksbank in Steglitz , Berlin , in January 2013 . There has been speculation that the London robbers – who stole jewels and cash from 72 boxes at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit centre – are from Eastern Europe . Meanwhile , it is believed the Volksbank raiders , who have never been caught , are Polish . One of the five-man gang left a book at the crime scene – a Polish translation of American Desperado , the autobiography of drug smuggler Jon Roberts . And wooden boards used for their 100ft tunnel were bought in Poland . Thomas Neuendorf , of Berlin Police , told The Mail on Sunday : ‘ We are very interested in the case in England and I ’ m sure our investigators will get in touch… If DNA matching our samples is put into the Interpol database by Scotland Yard we will be immediately notified. ’ Suspects caught on CCTV during the London heist were also dressed as construction workers - a tactic used in the Berlin raid . In a similar fashion to the German heist , the burglars timed their raid over the Easter bank holiday , entering after the premises emptied on Thursday night and leaving on Easter Sunday . In the German case , the gang spent almost a year building their tunnel before drilling through the bank ’ s 3ft-thick concrete walls . In London , the robbers used heavy-duty drills to bore holes into a reinforced 7ft-thick wall . In both cases , police are investigating the possibility of an insider helping the thieves . Scotland Yard declined to comment last night . Value of items taken , including jewels , said to be between £60m and £200m . Raid took place over three-day Easter weekend when workers had left building . 71 safety deposit boxes raided . Burglars used heavy duty drill to bore holes into a reinforced , two-metre-thick wall so they could gain access to boxes . Thieves dressed as workmen and gasmen . Police criticised after alarm ignored on Good Friday . Value of items taken , including diamonds , gold and silver , said to be £8.3m . Raid took place after thieves accessed the building while it was closed for the weekend . 294 security vaults broken into . Burglars also used drill to break through 3ft of concrete walls to break into the bank 's strong room . The thieves disguised themselves as workmen . Security guards criticised after alarm went off two days before tunnel found .
Police investigating links between Hatton Garden heist and Berlin bank raid . German detectives expected to make contact with Scotland Yard January 2013 . They are keen to find out whether any DNA was recovered from the scene .