Reports state that a Bangladeshi man was rescued and promptly arrested for an attempted theft
Italian state news agency ANSA reported on Friday that a 24-year-old Bangladeshi man was apprehended in Milan after being trapped in the bank vault he allegedly tried to rob for nine hours.
It is reported that the would-be robber entered the UniCredit bank during business hours the previous day and made his way into the vault to access the safety deposit boxes, where he was trapped by the timed lock.
ANSA mentioned that bank security personnel, who spotted the suspect on security cameras, notified the authorities around 9 PM on Thursday. Nevertheless, the timed lock prevented anyone from entering the vault until it released the next morning. According to ANSA, it took the fire department until 6 AM to gain entry to the vault.
The agency reported that the suspect was safely rescued, immediately arrested, and charged with aggravated theft. It stated that police are at the scene reconstructing the incident.
The Italian Interior Ministry reported on Friday that Bangladeshi migrants constituted the largest proportion, around a third, of new arrivals in Italy in 2026. The media did not clarify whether the suspect is a legal migrant.
Migrant-related crime has become a matter of growing concern in Italy, with high-profile cases such as gang rapes and violent assaults stoking public anger and boosting support for stricter border control measures.
According to Interior Ministry data, in 2024, migrants accounted for roughly 60% of all public robberies, 69% of pick-pocketing cases, and 43% of all sexual assaults, despite making up around 9% of the population. These figures were particularly high in metropolitan areas like Milan and Florence.
Last week, the cabinet of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved a draft law that authorizes naval blockades to prevent migrant boats from entering Italy’s waters. The bill also details stricter border surveillance, expands the range of crimes for which foreign nationals can be deported, and enhances sentences for human smugglers.
Meloni, elected in 2022 on pledges to halt boat arrivals, has implemented increasingly tough border policies, as Italy remains a primary destination for people fleeing Africa via the Mediterranean.