By Tim Binnall
New York City authorities are investigating a bizarre series of incidents wherein multiple individuals have been seen entering and exiting the city's sewer system through manholes. The curious case, which has drawn comparisons to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, reportedly came to light over the weekend when a local news outlet shared a video of several people venturing into the underground of the Williamsburg neighborhood. It was subsequently revealed that the strange scene was not an isolated incident, as NYC police later indicated they had received another report of a similar case in a different part of the city at around the same time period.
It would appear that the proverbial urban spelunking has been happening much longer than authorities may have known. After the situation became something of a viral sensation, a witness came forward this week with an account and footage of a smaller group of mysterious mole people pulling off the peculiar caper back on May 5th. "I was looking at them, they were looking at me, you know, I could tell they were up to no good," resident Aki Jakupovic recalled, "three random guys walking around in a strange suit. Open the sewer, go in like the Ninja Turtles." Regardless of whether the individuals involved in the three incidents are connected or if the situation is simply a new trend among the city's unsavory characters, authorities are keen to put a stop to the illegal activity.
Stressing that it is "extremely dangerous" to explore the vast underground system, a representative from the city's Department of Environmental Protection noted to the BBC that "sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces." To that end, retired NYPD Captain John Monaghan likened the incidents to "walking down the middle of a highway" and cautioned that, in addition to the aforementioned issues, the individuals entering the underground "could be electrocuted." As for what might be the motivation for the mysterious series of incidents, the NYPD reportedly posited that the faux Ninja Turtles are likely "scouring the system for valuables that get into the sewage."