Colombian police arrest Italian fugitive accused of being mafia boss

An Italian fugitive accused of having coordinated the shipment of ample cocaine cargoes from Latin America to Europe has been arrested successful Colombia.

Colombia's nationalist constabulary main described Emanuele Gregorini, who is besides known arsenic "Dollarino", arsenic "the caput of the Italian mafia Latin America".

He said Gregorini had been tracked down to an flat successful the seaside metropolis of Cartagena successful a multinational cognition which included Italian, British and Colombian investigators.

He had been connected the tally since 2023, erstwhile prosecutors accused him of being a cardinal fig successful the "Lombardy mafia system", which they described arsenic an confederation betwixt the Camorra, Cosa Nostra, and 'Ndrangheta mafia groups.

Police impeach Gregorini of having a cardinal relation successful organising cocaine shipments from the Colombian larboard cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta to Europe.

Colombian Police Chief Carlos Triana said Gregorini's apprehension was "a terrible blow" to transnational transgression syndicates.

He besides described him arsenic an "invisible narco", who did not gully attraction to himself.

Surveillance footage published by the Colombian authorities showed him going to the gym and visiting section restaurants successful the upscale neighbourhood wherever helium had rented an apartment, seemingly without fearfulness of being recognised.

Prosecutors accidental his apprehension successful Colombia points to an accrued beingness of the Italian mafia successful Latin America.

According to Insight Crime, a deliberation vessel specialising successful organised crime, European transgression networks person been establishing their ain cause smuggling routes successful South America alternatively than relying connected middlemen.

Italian mafia groups successful peculiar person expanded their beingness successful Colombia and Brazil successful caller years, the deliberation vessel says.

In October, Luigi Belvedere, 1 of Italy's astir wanted men, was detained successful the metropolis of Medellín, wherever helium had posed beside the sedate of the precocious Colombian cause lord, Pablo Escobar.