March 1, 2025
Gang of robbers busted: twelve arrests in Brussels and Eupen
In Eupen and Brussels, a criminal group around the French-Italian gangster Antonio Ferrara was busted on Thursday. In the large-scale police operation in which 150 police officers participated, twelve suspects between the ages of 40 and 51 were arrested. Several suspects were already known to the French and Belgian authorities and have a long criminal record. The group had targeted a value center in the German city of Bochum.

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Weapons of war
The group had heavy weapons of war, grenades, explosives and stolen vehicles. The gang around Antonio Ferrara had been under surveillance for some time and planned a robbery of a currency exchange, a place where banks keep their cash, in Bochum, Germany. This was stated by Brussels prosecutor Julien Moinil and his Parisian counterpart Laure Beccuau at a press conference on Friday.

Robbers
'In the context of a joint investigation team between France and Belgium, an investigation was conducted into a gang of suspected French and Belgian robbers', the prosecutor said during the press conference. 'These investigations led to several arrests in Eupen and Brussels by the Brussels Federal Judicial Police and Belgian special units. During the operation, we seized six weapons of war and six handguns, as well as four hand grenades, five bulletproof vests and explosives', says Brussels prosecutor Julien Moinil. Jerrycans of petrol and ignition mechanisms were also found.

Rotenberg district
Belgian authorities have arrested twelve suspects. According to Belgian media, raids were carried out in France and Belgium. Eight of the twelve suspects were arrested Thursday morning in the Rotenberg district of Eupen.

DSU
Two vehicles of the DSU, the special intervention units, were badly damaged after one of the suspects allegedly drove his car into members of the DSU, after which a DSU member opened fire and hit the driver.

Two cars of the suspects were also damaged. 'The Eupen public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into this shooting incident and according to the first information it seems that the police officer acted lawfully', according to prosecutor Moinil.

“Escape King”
Antonio Ferrara (51), known as the “escape king” for escaping from prison in 1998 and 2003, was released in July 2022 after serving his sentence in Réau prison in northern France. Ferrara, born in southern Italy, has previous convictions for robberies and attempted murder. He was acquitted in three cases involving robberies of cash-in-transit vans in 2009 and a post office in 2012.

https://www.crimesite.nl/overvallersbende-opgerold-twaalf-arrestaties-in-brussel-en-eupen/

Seems like someone Alain Delon should have played in a movie.

Indeed haha somehow French gangsters seem more glamorous.
Ferrara made his name in the French underworld as the country's top explosives expert. They say he is a billionaire.

All those French and Italian actors in gangster movies of the Fifties and Sixties were fluent in both languages--slid easily in and out of movie nationalities.

From what I can tell he lead an armed robbery group, how would he be a billionaire?

He is behind dozens of heists he probably made some good investments. His brother is also arrested.