Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy’s most sought mafia boss, was arrested in Sicily after 30 years on the run.
Messina Denaro, Sicily’s last ‘God Father,’ was purportedly arrested in a private facility in Palermo. He is said to be the boss of the legendary Cosa Nostra mafia in Sicily.
According to Italian media, he was undergoing treatment when he was detained shortly before 10:00 (09:00 GMT) and brought to a secret location by the Carabinieri. The arrest is alleged to have involved around 100 personnel of the armed forces.
Matteo Messina Denaro was prosecuted and condemned to life in prison for multiple murders in absentia.
These include the murders of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992, the devastating bomb attacks in Milan, Florence, and Rome in 1993, and the kidnapping, torture, and murder of the 11-year-old son of a mafioso turned state witness.
For the formidable Cosa Nostra organized crime syndicate, the mafia boss also handled racketeering, illicit garbage dumping, money laundering, and drug trafficking. He was reputedly Tot Riina’s apprentice, the head of the Corleone clan who was apprehended in 1993 after 23 years on the run.
Despite the fact that Messina Denaro had been a fugitive since 1993, it was believed that he was still issuing commands to his subordinates from various covert locations.
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, praised the armed forces for their efforts in apprehending the “most important member of the mafia criminal group”, adding: “This is a great victory for the state.”
