text: 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.
target: Police investigating links between Hatton Garden heist and Berlin bank raid .
  German detectives expected to make contact with Scotland Yard this week .
  They are keen to find out whether any DNA was recovered from the scene .