NYPD reveals shocking new details about ‘mole people’ caught climbing out of hole near Penn Station
For weeks, footage of masked figures climbing out of Manhattan manholes fuelled online theories that an entire community was living beneath New York's streets.
Now investigators say they've worked out exactly who these people are, and it isn't quite the urban legend the internet had hoped for.
According to a report from ABC News, police have identified several individuals filmed emerging from the sewer system and have since charged them with minor offenses, most of which were dropped given the suspects had no prior record.
Officials investigating the sightings say there's no evidence anyone is actually residing down there.
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Instead, the leading theory is that the individuals are migrants using the tunnels to hunt for scrap and other saleable items.
The clip that reignited the conversation showed a group climbing out of a manhole on Seventh Avenue near 32nd Street in the early hours of last Tuesday, geared up in headlamps and overalls as bystanders looked on in confusion.
Why do people go into New York's sewers?
The city's Department of Environmental Protection has been quick to stress that whatever the motive, the activity carries serious risk.
A DEP statement said the agency works alongside law enforcement to safeguard the city's underground infrastructure, and stressed that going into the sewer network is not only against the law but genuinely dangerous. Officials pointed to toxic gas buildup, crumbling surfaces, sudden flooding, and the risks of working in tight, enclosed spaces as reasons nobody should attempt to enter a manhole, pipe, drain, or outfall.
Locals working near the site say this isn't the first time they've spotted people coming and going below ground.
Matt McCann, a construction worker based in the area, told ABC News he's regularly seen the same kind of activity. 'I don't know what the hell they're doing down there because they get the waders on,' he said, adding that those involved come equipped in a manner reminiscent of old-fashioned mining gear.
How big is New York's sewer network?
Part of what makes the mystery so compelling is the sheer scale of what lies beneath the city.
New York's wastewater and stormwater system stretches roughly 7,400 miles, much of it dating back to construction in the 1800s, a sprawling maze that would make it easy for anyone to disappear underground for hours without being noticed. This isn't an isolated case, either.
Similar footage surfaced earlier in the summer, showing small groups climbing out of sewer access points in both Brooklyn and Queens after dark, leaving residents and even investigators stumped over what was going on.
Court records tied to earlier incidents in Williamsburg and Gravesend back in May show four people were arrested, with those involved reportedly telling police they'd gone underground specifically to search for valuables.
A separate case in Queens also ended in an arrest, though prosecutors ultimately chose not to pursue charges.
UNILAD has contacted the NYPD and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for comment.
Thomas Bamford