Authorities say the armed group escaped through a tunnel linked to the sewer system after raiding safe deposit boxes at a Crédit Agricole branch.
NAPLES, ITALY — Police in southern Italy were searching Friday for a group of armed robbers who held 25 bank employees and customers hostage during a daylight heist at a Crédit Agricole branch in Naples, then escaped through an underground route before special forces entered the building.
The case drew national attention because of its planning, its use of hostages and the gang’s disappearance beneath one of Naples’ busiest residential areas. Investigators were working to determine how many robbers took part, what was stolen from the branch’s safe deposit boxes and whether anyone outside the bank helped prepare the escape. All 25 hostages were freed alive, and officials said no one suffered serious injuries, but the suspects remained at large as forensic teams combed the bank and nearby sewer lines.
Authorities said the robbery unfolded late Thursday morning at the bank branch in Piazza Medaglie d’Oro, in the city’s Vomero and Arenella area. Early accounts indicated the gang arrived with faces covered and forced its way into the branch, with Italian media reporting that a vehicle was used to break through the front of the building. Once inside, the robbers gathered customers and workers and held them for roughly two hours while they focused on safe deposit boxes rather than cash drawers. Police moved into position outside as the alarm spread through the neighborhood, sealing streets and drawing a large crowd. By 12:47 p.m., security forces had begun an operation around the branch. At 1:36 p.m., the hostages were out. A witness later told Italian television that the gunmen were armed but did not beat or shoot anyone inside.
What officers found next added to the mystery. By the time special units forced entry and cleared the branch, the gunmen were gone. Investigators believe they escaped through a hole in the floor that connected to a tunnel leading into Naples’ sewer network. Reports from the scene said the gang may have worn blue work overalls and paper masks resembling movie actors, adding to what local officials described as a highly choreographed raid. Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi called it a scene that looked as if it had come from a film. Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri went to the bank as the response was still unfolding, a sign of how seriously authorities viewed the robbery. Rescue crews treated several hostages for shock after the release, and at least six people received medical attention, though officials said none were in grave condition. Investigators have not publicly said how much property was taken because the contents of the boxes are known only to their owners.
The setting helped turn the robbery into a major public story. Piazza Medaglie d’Oro sits in a densely built part of Naples with apartment blocks, shops and heavy foot traffic. Residents watched from balconies and sidewalks as police cars, ambulances and tactical teams filled the square. Video from local broadcasters showed windows being broken during the rescue phase and stun devices used as officers moved in. The branch serves customers who keep valuables in private deposit boxes, making the possible losses both personal and difficult to measure quickly. By Thursday night and into Friday, bank clients gathered outside looking for updates on whether their boxes had been opened. Some emerged worried about jewelry, documents and family valuables. Others told reporters they had not yet been allowed to inspect what remained. That uncertainty became one of the biggest immediate consequences of the case, because even after the hostages were safe, many basic questions about the loot were still unanswered.
The robbery also revived memories of earlier tunnel based crimes in Italy. News outlets and investigators drew comparisons to a 2020 robbery at another Crédit Agricole branch in Milan, where thieves were also reported to have used sewers as part of the operation. Naples itself has long posed a challenge for police because of its dense urban layout and the presence of underground infrastructure that includes sewers, service conduits and older passageways. That does not mean this case is linked to any previous gang, and authorities have not announced such a connection. Still, the method suggested detailed surveillance, technical knowledge and time to prepare. Officials were left asking how long the escape route had been in place, whether it was dug specifically for the job or adapted from existing infrastructure, and whether the robbers had help from someone familiar with the bank’s layout and routines. Those questions are now central to the inquiry because they could determine whether this was a local crew, a specialized traveling gang or a broader criminal network.
As of Friday, no arrests had been announced and no charges had been filed publicly. Police, carabinieri and forensic investigators were reviewing security video, collecting physical evidence and mapping the route believed to have been used to enter or leave the branch. Water utility personnel were also involved because the suspected escape path ran through the sewer system. Investigators were expected to compare traces found underground with evidence recovered inside the bank, including tools, shoe marks, fibers and possible DNA. Statements from employees, customers and first responders were also being gathered to refine the timeline and determine whether the hostages were moved from room to room during the robbery. Prosecutors will likely use those statements to decide what offenses to pursue once suspects are identified. In Italian law, a case involving armed robbery, kidnapping or unlawful detention, damage to property and possible criminal conspiracy can bring a broad set of charges. The next milestone is likely to be a formal briefing by investigators after evidence from the scene and underground route is reviewed.
Outside the bank on Friday, the mood was uneasy rather than chaotic. Residents paused near police tape, trying to understand how a robbery in the middle of the day could end with suspects vanishing under the street. Customers traded rumors about what had been stored in the boxes and whether the gang had targeted the branch with inside knowledge. Some people watched clips from the rescue on their phones while others waited for word from bank staff. The people who had been inside described fear, confusion and a rush of relief once the standoff ended. One hostage told Italian media the worst part was not knowing whether the gunmen would panic before the police arrived. Another said the group inside tried to stay calm and avoid provoking the robbers. Those brief accounts helped frame the event less as a stylized caper and more as a tense hostage situation in which dozens of ordinary people were trapped while the gang carried out its plan.
The hostages are safe, the bank remains under investigation and the manhunt is still active. The next key development is expected once police finish examining the tunnel route and prosecutors provide a fuller account of what was taken and how many suspects they believe were involved.
Author note: Last updated April 18, 2026.