Three unidentified men were caught on surveillance cameras climbing out of a manhole near the Manhattan hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to stay during the United Nations General Assembly, prompting additional security sweeps by New York police and federal authorities.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, near Park Avenue and East 61st Street, a block from the Loews Regency hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The men left the scene in two vehicles before officers arrived, according to police.
Police said there was no indication that the incident was connected to Netanyahu or the UN General Assembly. Investigators believe the men may have been searching underground for valuables or scrap metal, following several similar incidents across New York in recent months.
Officers responding to a 911 call found that the men had already driven north on Park Avenue. One vehicle was described as a silver sedan, while the other was a four-door car. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage as they seek to establish the men’s identities and movements.
The NYPD said it had deployed additional security measures in coordination with federal agencies because of the location’s sensitivity and the presence of world leaders in New York for the UN gathering.
The incident follows similar sightings of people entering and emerging from underground infrastructure in Brooklyn and other parts of New York earlier this year. Police have previously investigated whether such activity was linked to people searching for valuables in the city’s underground networks.
As of September 24, no arrests had been announced, and the investigation remained ongoing. Authorities have not established that the three men posed a threat to Netanyahu or any other visiting dignitary.
