Antonio Ferrara Arrested in Belgium After Attempted Robbery

One of France’s most famous robbers, Antonio Ferrara, was arrested on Thursday, February 27, in Eupen, Belgium, during an operation conducted as part of a French investigation. The 51-year-old man, nicknamed the “king of escape” for his spectacular jailbreaks, had been under surveillance for several months.

Ferrara and seven accomplices allegedly attempted to rob a high-security vault in Germany, a site where large amounts of cash are stored. Their plan failed when German police, stationed outside the facility, repelled them. They then returned to their hideout in Belgium, where local intervention forces arrested them. The operation led to violent exchanges: one suspect was shot and a Belgian police officer was hit by a vehicle.

The Paris public prosecutor confirmed that this arrest was the result of an investigation led by the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction, in collaboration with Belgian and German authorities. Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, praised the “professionalism” of the law enforcement officers and the “exemplary cooperation” between the countries involved.

A Past Marked by Robberies and Escapes

Born in Italy in 1973 and residing in France, Antonio Ferrara became known for his spectacular robberies and two notorious escapes. In 1998, he took advantage of a medical transfer to escape from Fleury-Mérogis prison and remained on the run until 2002. However, it was his 2003 escape from Fresnes prison that left a lasting impression: an armed commando with a rocket launcher attacked the prison, blasted open the bars of his cell, and extracted him in the dead of night. He was recaptured a few months later.

Convicted multiple times, Ferrara was released in July 2022 after 19 years in detention. His arrest in Belgium, the result of close cooperation between European services, puts an end to what seemed like a new attempt to return to a life of crime.