Mafia boss Matteo Denaro, Italy's most wanted man, arrested in Sicily - NBC News

Italy's most-wanted man, Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, was arrested Monday aft 3 decades connected the run.

He was apprehended successful the Sicilian capital, Palermo, Italy's Carabinieri constabulary part said.

Messina Denaro, a convicted murderer who has eluded authorities 30 years, is thought to beryllium the person of the notorious Cosa Nostra organized transgression group.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said successful a connection that the apprehension was “a large triumph for the authorities that shows it ne'er gives up successful the look of the Mafia.”

Gen. Pasquale Angelosanto, who leads the Carabinieri’s peculiar operations squad, said Messina Denaro was arrested astatine a backstage session successful Palermo wherever helium was being treated for an unspecified aesculapian issue.

A representation released by constabulary aboriginal Monday showed Messina Denaro successful a constabulary car — visibly older than successful his 1990s mugshots — alongside 2 officers.

Italian Mafia Boss Matteo Messina Denaro during the 1990s. Franco Lannino / EPA via Shutterstock

Police warned successful September past twelvemonth that contempt his debased profile, Messina Denaro could inactive contented commands to organized transgression groups astir the occidental Sicilian metropolis of Trapani.

He was sentenced to beingness successful situation — astatine a proceedings helium did not be — for his portion successful the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino successful 1992.

He faces a further beingness condemnation for engagement successful weaponry attacks successful Rome, Florence and and Milan successful 1993.

The apprehension marks the latest successful a drawstring of high-profile captures of Mafia bosses.

Last twelvemonth Rocco Morabito, past the 2nd most-wanted fugitive successful Italy and a person successful the almighty 'Ndrangheta Mafia group, was arrested successful Brazil aft 28 years connected the tally and extradited to Rome.

In 2006, constabulary arrested Cosa Nostra brag Bernardo Provenzano, who constabulary named arsenic the "Capo di Capi," oregon main of chiefs, aft a 43-year manhunt.

Italian prosecutors impeach Messina Denaro of helping to signifier the kidnapping of 12-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo successful 1993, successful what they said was an effort to dissuade his begetter from giving grounds against the mafia. The lad was held captive for 2 years earlier helium was strangled and his assemblage dissolved successful acid, according to prosecutors.

Since Messina Denaro was placed connected Italy’s wanted database successful 1993, determination has been planetary involvement successful his status, including a spectacular lawsuit of mistaken identity.

In September 2021, a British Formula One instrumentality from Liverpool who was having meal with his lad astatine a edifice successful The Hague astatine the time, was mistakenly arrested by equipped Dutch constabulary officers astatine the petition of the Italian authorities connected suspicion of being the elusive mobster, the man's lawyer told media outlets astatine the time.

Messina Denaro, who is thought to person orchestrated the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors, was besides the taxable of Netflix’s ‘World’s Most Wanted’ series.

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