Antonio Ferrara, the Franco-Italian criminal known as the "King of Escapes," was arrested on February 27, 2025, during a dramatic armed police operation in Eupen, Liège province, Belgium. The 51-year-old—born October 12, 1973, in Southern Italy—was captured in the Rotenberg district following a gunfire exchange with Belgian Federal Police special forces and a Paris SWAT unit.
The operation was coordinated as a joint French-Belgian action targeting an alleged conspiracy to carry out an armed robbery at a cash storage facility in Bochum, Germany. At least one police officer sustained minor injuries during the arrest, while at least one suspect was also wounded in the exchange of fire.
Ferrara did not face arrest alone. Between 8 and 12 accomplices were detained during the operation, with sources reporting varying totals. Confirmed co-arrested individuals included 3 Belgians and 4 French nationals. Among the notable co-suspects were Kader Doumbia, a man with a 2009 conviction for kidnapping and torture, and an individual identified as Walid Tarsim, known as "Walter." One source indicates a tenth person was apprehended separately in Germany.
Timeline
12 October 1973
Geburt von Antonio Ferrara
Antonio Ferrara wird in Cassino, Italien, geboren.
1 February 2025
Festnahme in Eupen
Ferrara wird bei einer spektakulären Polizeiaktion in der belgischen Stadt Eupen festgenommen. Er leistet massiven Widerstand.
6 February 2025
Freilassung und erneute Inhaftierung
Ferrara wird gegen eine Kaution von 30.000 Euro freigelassen, aber sofort aufgrund eines europäischen Haftbefehls aus Frankreich wieder verhaftet.
Ferrara's criminal notoriety stems from two extraordinary prison escapes that earned him his "Escape King" moniker. In 1998, he fled Fleury-Mérogis prison near Paris during a hospital transfer and remained at large until 2002. His second escape proved even more audacious: on March 12, 2003, he broke out of Fresnes prison in Val-de-Marne when accomplices disguised as police officers attacked the facility using rocket and grenade launchers. That escape lasted four months before his recapture.
Prior to his February 2025 arrest, Ferrara had been released from Réau prison in northern France in July 2022. He remained free until November 6, 2025, when he was arrested on a European warrant. Despite being released on €30,000 bail following that arrest, he was immediately re-arrested, leading to the February operation that ultimately secured him in Belgian custody.
His previous convictions include robbery and attempted murder. The Belgian judicial system determined in June 2025 that his trial would take place in Belgium, establishing the country as the venue for proceedings against the escape artist and his alleged co-conspirators.
The operation reflects ongoing international law enforcement coordination between France and Belgium in combating organized crime networks. The involvement of Paris SWAT units alongside Belgian Federal Police underscores the cross-border nature of the alleged conspiracy and the priority both nations placed on apprehending Ferrara before the alleged robbery could materialize.
**Sources:** - https://fakti.bg/en/world/953225-belgium-arrests-antonio-ferrara-the-king-of-prison-escapes - https://www.belganewsagency.eu/escape-king-antonio-ferrara-arrested-in-eupen - https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2025/02/27/notorious-franco-italian-criminal-escape-king-antonio-ferrara/ - https://www.brusselstimes.com/1829034/french-italian-robber-antonio-ferrara-released-but-immediately-re-arrested - https://www.brusselstimes.com/1464367/french-escape-artist-ferrara-captured-in-belgium-after-shootout-12-arrested