Bank Robbers in Belgium Dug a Tunnel to Break Into a Bank
A bank robbery in Antwerp, Belgium, looked like something straight out of a Hollywood heist movie after thieves dug tunnels, crawled through the city’s sewer system and eventually broke into the safe deposit room of a BNP Paribas Fortis branch.
The spectacular burglary happened at the BNP Paribas Fortis branch on Belgiëlei in Antwerp in February 2019, when the thieves managed to reach the bank’s vault area through an underground route that started in a building on Nerviërsstraat, about 400 meters away.
How the Thieves Reached the Bank?
The burglars 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 sewage pipes for hundreds of meters before digging another tunnel that led directly into the bank’s safe deposit room.
Investigators later found a hole in the floor of the vault room, which was connected to the tunnel. Police also discovered tools and other items that had been left behind inside the tunnels. The route required the thieves to move through extremely narrow and dangerous underground 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 entered the secure area.
The truth became clear when bank employees opened the vault room and discovered that dozens of safe deposit boxes had been broken into.
27 Safe Deposit Boxes Were Opened
Investigators found that 27 safe deposit boxes had been forced open. At first, customers were left uncertain about whether their own boxes had been affected, and they were asked to provide declarations describing what they had stored inside them.
The situation created considerable concern because safe deposit boxes can contain cash, jewelry, important documents and personal belongings. At the beginning of the investigation, the exact value of what had been taken was not publicly known. BNP Paribas Fortis later established a limited area of potentially affected boxes and began working with insurers to identify the customers involved.
The burglary attracted even more attention because of the location of the bank in Antwerp’s famous diamond district, an area known for its large concentration of diamond businesses and jewelry companies.
A Dangerous Journey Through the Sewer System
The underground route was not only difficult to build but also extremely dangerous to use. Reports at the time said the thieves had to crawl through narrow sewer pipes before reaching the second tunnel leading into the bank.
According to information reported by Belgian media, parts of the sewer system were extremely confined, making it difficult or impossible for a person to stand upright. The thieves therefore had to crawl through the system for a considerable distance.
Sewer systems can also become dangerous very quickly when heavy rain causes large amounts of water to enter the pipes. People inside a sewer can face the risk of drowning, while wastewater can also contain dangerous gases.
Police were reportedly cautious when investigating the tunnels because of possible gas hazards. Authorities had to check the conditions before investigators could safely enter parts of the underground route.
What Happened to the Suspects?
The investigation eventually led police to several suspects. According to the Antwerp Federal Police, four Georgian suspects were arrested in connection with the case, while later court proceedings involved five defendants.
Investigators also found evidence linking suspects to the basement from which the first tunnel had been 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 spectacular tunnel burglary. The stolen property itself was never fully recovered, and the exact total value of the loot remained unclear.
The Antwerp bank tunnel robbery remains one of Belgium’s most unusual bank burglary cases, not because the thieves simply broke through a door or disabled an alarm, but because they created an underground route through a building, the sewer system and a second tunnel before reaching the bank’s vault.
