The NYPD has identified the masked figures spotted climbing out of Manhattan manholes and charged them with minor offenses, debunking viral theories of a secret underground community.
The individuals, filmed emerging from the sewer system near Penn Station in recent weeks, are not “mole people” living beneath the streets, investigators now say. Police have identified several of them and charged them with minor offenses, most of which were dropped because the suspects had no prior record, according to an ABC News report.
Officials investigating the sightings say there is no evidence anyone is actually residing underground. 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 online speculation showed a group climbing out of a manhole on Seventh Avenue near 32nd Street in the early hours of last Tuesday. The figures were geared up in headlamps and overalls as bystanders looked on in confusion.
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 is not the first time they have spotted people coming and going below ground. Matt McCann, a construction worker based in the area, said he has 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.
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 is not 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 had 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.
The viral moment that sparked widespread speculation began weeks ago, when footage of masked figures climbing out of Manhattan manholes fueled online theories that an entire community was living beneath New York’s streets. The videos spread rapidly across social media platforms, with users dubbing the figures “mole people” and spinning elaborate narratives about secret underground societies. Now investigators say they have worked out exactly who these people are, and it is not quite the urban legend the internet had hoped for.
The NYPD and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to requests for comment.