Creepy mystery of people crawling out of NYC manholes sparks wild theories – and a frantic NYPD probe
A MYSTERY group of “mole men” filmed crawling in and out of New York City manholes has sparked wild conspiracy theories – and triggered a major police probe.
Baffled residents feared everything from bank raids to sabotage plots after groups of men were caught disappearing underground in two separate Brooklyn incidents just hours apart.
But investigators now believe the bizarre sewer excursions may have a far less sinister explanation.
Sources told the New York Post that an NYPD Emergency Services Unit sweep and a city environmental investigation found no signs of criminal activity beneath the streets.
Instead, authorities suspect the men were scavenging through the sewer network hunting for valuables accidentally lost down drains – including coins, scrap metal, wallets and even jewelry.
The strange saga unfolded in the early hours of last Friday when two groups of men were spotted entering and later emerging from manholes about five miles apart in Williamsburg and Gravesend.
Police are still trying to determine whether the incidents are linked.
In Gravesend, shocking footage showed a man lifting a manhole cover from McDonald Avenue before placing it on the curb.
Moments later, a man carrying a flashlight climbed out of the sewer – followed by six others in a scene compared to a circus clown car.
Some appeared to be wearing waders and boots before stripping off their filthy clothing on the pavement and loading belongings into three waiting cars.
A second group was filmed entering a manhole at Hayward Street and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg around 1am.
They reportedly spent more than two hours underground before reappearing at about 3.40am and driving away.
The bizarre sightings immediately sparked alarm among locals.
Residents speculated the underground visitors could be tunnelling into nearby businesses or targeting banks.
Others feared more sinister motives because both neighbourhoods have sizeable Jewish communities.
Joey Saban, chief of staff for state senator Sam Sutton, said: “The community was very alarmed.
“It’s a bizarre incident.
“This entire situation underscores how vulnerable the community feels.”
Police stressed there is currently no indication of any terror-related or hate-motivated activity.
Investigators reviewing footage from both scenes initially admitted they could not confirm whether the groups were the same people.
A police spokesman said: “Right now, we can’t say that they’re the same.
“It’s very peculiar that there’s similar incidents within miles of one another.”
The NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit later carried out a sweep of the sewer system but found nothing suspicious.
A spokesman said: “There was a concern so they just went down to make sure everything was safe.”
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection also inspected the site.
A spokesperson warned: “Entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous. Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces.”
The mystery has left many scratching their heads.
Roufat Kafarov, 66, whose furniture store is near the Gravesend manhole, told the New York Post: “I’m here in this place for 15 years, I’ve never heard of something like that. That’s crazy.”
Not everyone is buying the treasure-hunting theory.
Carol Ellen, 84, who works across the street, said: “I don’t believe the jewelry part of it. Jewelry down there? Something’s not right.”
Another resident, Olga G., suggested: “They’re trying to get into businesses. That, or it’s the banks. There’s a TD Bank on Kings Highway and a Chase around the corner.
“That’s too much work for a teeny-tiny bit of jewelry. Unless someone’s robbing jewelry and throwing it down to hide it.
“I want in if it’s something good.”
The saga has inevitably prompted comparisons to New York’s most famous sewer dwellers – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Online jokers were quick to pile in, with one asking: “Did any of them have… turtle shells… on their backs?”
Another quipped: “Just the Ghostbusters checking out the slime.”
No arrests have been made.
