Naples Bank Heist: Robbers Escape Through Sewer Tunnels

In a brazen daylight heist, three armed robbers stormed a Crédit Agricole bank in Naples, taking 25 hostages and sparking a tense two-hour standoff with police.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, saw the robbers enter the bank at around 11:30 am and quickly take control of the premises. They held staff and customers captive, locking them in a room, while they carried out their plan.

The swift response from emergency services led to the safe release of all hostages by 1:30 pm, with no serious injuries reported. However, the robbers had already made their escape, leaving authorities with a challenging investigation.

The escape route chosen by the thieves was particularly cunning. They fled through a hole in the bank's floor, leading to the city's sewer system, making their pursuit even more difficult.

This method of escape mirrors a similar robbery at a Crédit Agricole branch in Milan in 2020, where robbers also used the sewer network to access and escape the bank.

The Naples prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, was on the scene, overseeing the investigation. The local water network management company is also involved in inspecting the sewers to aid in the search for the culprits.

While the robbers' fate remains unknown, this incident highlights the need for heightened security measures in financial institutions and the importance of swift emergency responses.