Armed robber Antonio Ferrara: judgment postponed to November in Belgium
The trial of French armed robber Antonio Ferrara and nine suspected accomplices, being tried in Belgium for a planned armed raid in Germany, has had its judgment postponed from 23 October to 5 November.
Judgment postponed without explanation
According to TF1 Info, the Brussels court announced Friday morning the postponement of the judgment without providing an explanation. Antonio Ferrara, 53 years old, and his nine co-defendants were appearing for a planned armed raid on a strong room in Bochum, Germany, dating from early 2025. The judgment is now expected on 5 November.
Criminal history of the "king of la belle"
Ferrara, well known to the French judiciary, has been convicted of armed robberies, attempted murder and two prison escapes. These offences earned him the nickname "king of la belle". Released in 2022, he faces a heavy sentence and a return to detention. The Brussels prosecutor's office sought 18 years in prison against him in August.
A planned raid thwarted in February
The ten suspects are suspected of having planned the raid on the Bochum strong room, where banks store banknotes and jewellery. The plan was foiled by French-Belgian cooperation. Belgian police conducted a sweep on 27 February 2025 in Eupen, in the east of the country, near the German border. According to investigators, the act was then imminent.
Evidence accumulated
Members of the group had already surveilled the establishment using stolen vehicles. Police seized weapons, explosives and bulletproof vests. The prosecution relies on telephone intercepts and surveillance. Ferrara left DNA traces on several weapons and magazines. The French investigation, opened in 2024 into criminal association, led to this case being tried in Belgium because of the decisive intervention of Belgian police.
Source: TF1 Info