10 May 2009 - 18H26
Police arrest suspected Calabrian mafia boss
Salvatore Coluccio, one of Italy's 30 most dangerous fugitives, was arrested by police on Sunday. Authorities believe he is the head of a powerful mafia crime family in the region of Calabria.
AFP - Italian police arrested Sunday the suspected head of a mafia crime family in the southern region of Calabria.
Salvatore Coluccio, who had been on the run for four years, was found hiding in a special bunker equipped with an electric generator, an air conditioning system and a large stock of food, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.
Coluccio, who figured on a list of Italy's 30 most dangerous fugitives, was arrested in Roccella Ionica, a small Calabrian town on the Ionian Sea, police said.
Coluccio and his brother Giuseppe, who was arrested last August in Canada, are believed to head a powerful crime family for the mafia in Calabria, who are known as the 'Ndrangheta.
The pair are suspected of masterminding a vast drug-trafficking network between South America and Calabria, according to ANSA.
Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni issued a statement after Coluccio's arrest thanking police for the "important operation."
Following his arrest in a Toronto suburb, Giuseppe Coluccio was extradited to Italy.
Related Content
Sanitizing gel: great for your hands, not for your stomach
Stay tuned
