In a dramatic and meticulously planned heist, three masked robbers held twenty-five people hostage for two hours at a branch of the Credit Agricole bank in Naples on Thursday. The assailants, one confirmed to be armed, entered the premises at approximately 11:30 AM local time, seizing control of the bank which reportedly contained a total of thirty individuals at the onset of the incident.
Hostage Situation Unfolds in Central Naples
Customers and employees were forcibly locked into a room by the perpetrators, who maintained a threatening presence but refrained from employing physical violence against their captives. One hostage, a customer present during the ordeal, recounted to Italian media, "I was in the bank when they entered; there was definitely three of them. They came and locked us – customers, employees and the manager – in a room. They were armed but they didn’t use violence."
Swift Police Response and Hostage Rescue
Thanks to a rapid and coordinated intervention by law enforcement, all hostages were successfully freed shortly after 1:30 PM, escaping without sustaining any serious injuries. Naples Prefect Michele di Bari confirmed in an official statement, "Thanks to the swift response... all the hostages were freed shortly after 1:30 pm, without serious injuries."
Footage from local media captured the intense moments as police officers broke windows to gain entry into the bank building. Firefighters were observed assisting some hostages in climbing out, while others simply brushed off shards of glass and walked away from the chaotic scene. Many individuals were visibly shaken, seen crying and embracing relatives in the aftermath. The BBC reported that at least six people required medical assistance due to shock following the traumatic event.
Escape Through Sewer Tunnel and Ongoing Manhunt
The robbers executed a daring escape through a pre-constructed tunnel that connected the bank vault to the city's sewer system. A police source disclosed that the thieves absconded with the contents of dozens of safe deposit boxes. When questioned about the total value of the stolen goods, the source remarked, "Nobody but the clients knows what was in those boxes."
In the wake of the robbery, approximately forty police officers, including specialists with sniffer dogs, launched an extensive search operation throughout the area to locate the fugitives. Forensic teams meticulously dusted for fingerprints at the crime scene, while Naples' water network authorities initiated inspections of the sewer system to trace the escape route.
Public Spectacle and Historical Precedent
The incident attracted significant public attention, with a large crowd gathering around the bank to witness developments. Tens of thousands of viewers reportedly tuned into a live stream to watch the unfolding drama in real-time. This heist bears a striking resemblance to a previous robbery targeting a Credit Agricole branch in Milan back in 2020. In that incident, armed men entered through the main entrance, held staff hostage, and utilized the sewer network for access and escape, stealing several safe-deposit boxes before vanishing through the drains.
The brazen nature of this latest robbery, involving hostages and a complex escape plan, has raised serious security concerns and highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by financial institutions in preventing sophisticated criminal operations.
