Armed robbers held 25 individuals hostage in Naples financial institution heist earlier than ‘fleeing through sewage tunnels’
Armed robbers held 25 people hostage during a bank heist in Naples before escaping through a tunnel, police said.
The incident took place in broad daylight at a branch of Crédit Agricole on Thursday at around midday local time.
Police are reported to have surrounded the establishment and negotiated with the thieves for around two hours before the hostages were released.
Local media reports suggest that three or four men were involved in the robbery and wore masks depicting famous actors.
Hundreds of safety deposit boxes were stolen and the exact cost of the theft remains unclear.
Footage shared on social media shows members of the fire service smashing windows in with battering rams and helping people climb out of windows while covered in shattered glass.
No serious injuries were reported, according to authorities. Six people in a state of shock were treated by medical services.
“Thanks to the swift response… all the hostages were freed shortly after 1.30pm without serious injuries,” regional official Michele di Bari said in a statement released in the aftermath of the incident.
Local reports suggest that the gang may have dug a hole in the ground overnight and used the sewage system to flee.
The special forces of the carabinieri armed police were flown in from Tuscany to deal with the crisis.
Several hours after their arrival they forced their way in to the bank by breaking a window. Several shots and the sounds of a stun gun are reported to have been heard on a live stream of the incident joined by tens of thousands of people as it unfolded.
People were seen walking out onto the street and shaking off shards of glass while others were seen distressed and in tears as they were met by concerned friends and family.
One man told Fanpage.it that the robbers locked the hostages in a room and while they were armed they “did not use violence”.
Detectives are yet to make any arrests but are reported to be searching the sewers around the incident location for evidence. The livestream showed a number of emergency personnel looking into a manhole near the bank.
Customers of the bank demanded answers. “We want to know what was stolen,” one person told La Republica. “Was the bank vault containing the cash stolen, or were private safety deposit boxes emptied? How many safe deposit boxes were opened?”
Source: independent.co.uk
