Armed robbers targeted a bank in Naples on Wednesday, taking 25 people hostage before escaping through a tunnel dug beneath the building, Italian authorities confirmed. The incident began around 9:30 a.m. Local time when three masked individuals entered the Intesa Sanpaolo branch on Via Toledo, a major thoroughfare in the city’s historic center. Witnesses reported hearing shouts and seeing firearms brandished as the suspects ordered customers and staff to lie on the floor. Police arrived within minutes and established a perimeter, initiating negotiations while bomb squad technicians assessed the scene. Authorities said the hostages, including bank employees and patrons, were unharmed but visibly distressed. No shots were fired during the standoff, which lasted approximately two hours. During that time, investigators discovered signs of recent excavation near the bank’s foundation, including disturbed soil and fresh concrete fragments consistent with tunneling activity. At approximately 11:45 a.m., the suspects released all hostages and fled through a narrow passage leading from the bank’s basement to an adjacent underground utility corridor. Police recovered tools, including a hydraulic jack and drilling equipment, left behind in the tunnel. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed three individuals in dark clothing emerging from a storm drain roughly 200 meters from the bank, where a getaway vehicle was believed to be waiting. The Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into aggravated robbery, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms. Forensic teams are analyzing DNA and fingerprint evidence collected at the scene. Investigators are also reviewing city infrastructure maps to determine whether the tunnel connected to disused aqueducts or subway shafts known to exist beneath the historic district. Intesa Sanpaolo confirmed in a brief statement that the branch remained closed pending security upgrades and that all employees were offered psychological support. The bank declined to disclose whether any money was taken, citing ongoing investigative secrecy. Police have not released descriptions of the suspects or confirmed any arrests. A spokesperson for the Naples Questura said inquiries were ongoing and that no further details would be provided until the investigation advanced. The case remains active.
