Bank Robbers in Belgium Dug a Tunnel to Break Into a Bank
The bank robbery in Antwerp, Belgium, looked like something straight out of a Hollywood heist movie. The thieves dug tunnels, made their way through the city’s sewer system, and eventually broke into the safe deposit room of a BNP Paribas Fortis bank branch.
The extraordinary robbery took place in February 2019 at the BNP Paribas Fortis branch on Belgiëlei in Antwerp. The thieves reached the bank’s vault area through an underground route that started in a building on Nerviërsstraat, about 400 meters away.
How Did the Thieves Get Into the Bank?
The thieves began by digging a tunnel from the basement of a building on Nerviërsstraat until they reached the sewer system beneath the street. From there, they apparently crawled through the sewer pipes for hundreds of meters before digging another tunnel leading directly to the bank’s safe deposit room.
Investigators later found a hole in the floor of the vault room connected to the tunnel. Police also discovered tools and other items left behind in the underground passages. The route required the thieves to navigate extremely narrow and dangerous spaces before reaching the bank.
The bank’s security alarm went off on Sunday afternoon, alerting the security company, which then contacted police. When officers arrived, the main vault door was still locked, making it difficult at first to understand how anyone had managed to enter the secured area.
The mystery became clear when bank employees opened the safe deposit room and discovered that dozens of safety deposit boxes had been broken into.
27 Safe Deposit Boxes Were Broken Into
Investigators found that 27 safe deposit boxes had been forced open. At first, customers were unsure whether their boxes had been targeted and were asked to submit declarations describing what they had stored inside.
The incident caused serious concern because safe deposit boxes can contain cash, jewelry, important documents, and personal valuables. At the beginning of the investigation, the exact value of the stolen items was not publicly known. BNP Paribas Fortis later identified a limited area containing boxes that may have been affected and began working with insurance companies to identify the customers involved.
The robbery attracted additional attention because the bank was located in Antwerp’s famous Diamond District, an area known for its high concentration of diamond and jewelry businesses.
A Dangerous Journey Through the Sewer System
Building the underground passage was not the only challenge. Using it was also extremely dangerous. Reports at the time said the thieves had to crawl through narrow sewer pipes before reaching the second tunnel leading to the bank.
According to information published by Belgian media, some sections of the sewer system were so narrow that standing upright was difficult or impossible. The thieves therefore had to crawl through the network for a considerable distance.
Sewer systems can quickly become dangerous during heavy rainfall, when large amounts of water flow into the pipes. Anyone inside the sewers faces the risk of drowning, and sewage systems may also contain hazardous gases.
Reports indicated that police proceeded cautiously during the investigation because of potential gas hazards. Authorities had to assess the conditions before investigators could safely enter certain sections of the underground route.
What Happened to the Suspects?
The investigation eventually led police to identify several suspects. According to the Antwerp Federal Judicial Police, four Georgian suspects were arrested in connection with the case, while subsequent legal proceedings involved five defendants.
Investigators also found evidence linking the suspects to the basement where the first tunnel was dug, including fingerprints and equipment left behind during the preparations.
In October 2020, five defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to five years for their involvement in the extraordinary tunnel robbery. The stolen valuables were not fully recovered, and their total value remained unknown.
The Antwerp bank tunnel robbery remains one of Belgium’s most unusual bank heists. The thieves did not simply break through a door or disable an alarm. Instead, they created an underground route through a building, the city’s sewer system, and a second tunnel before reaching the bank’s vault.
