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Italian former mafia boss arrested in Spain

Alex Berry
August 5, 2021

The former top boss of the infamous 'ndrangheta mafia has been arrested in Spain. He had been on the run after being released from prison due to a court error.

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Two Spanish officers from the Policia Nacional
The Spanish Policia Nacional and the Italian Carabinieri forces cooperated to track down the fugitive mafia bossImage: picture alliance/dpa/J. Lizon

Italian and Spanish police have arrested Domenico Paviglianiti, the former "boss of the bosses" of the 'ndrangheta mafia, in Madrid, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Thursday.

Spanish police shared a video of the Tuesday arrest of the "head of the Calabrian 'ndrangheta." The 60-year-old is "considered one of the most wanted fugitives in Italy," the tweet added.

They also found false Portuguese documentation, six mobile phones and almost €6,000 ($7,100) in cash during a search of his residence.

In and out of jail

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 80s, but his sentence was later reduced to 30 years. He was released in October 2019 due to a mistake in his sentencing — at which point he left Italy and fled to Spain.

After his release, "the now-detained man drove around in an armored vehicle out of fear of being hit by a gang attack and his criminal activities allegedly focused on trafficking weapons and drugs," a statement from the Spanish interior ministry said.

A police investigation tracked down the fugitive through family members living in Barcelona, where he had stayed for several months. He was then found and arrested in Madrid, where he had set up his permanent residence, Spanish broadcaster Telemadrid reported.

The 'ndrangheta mafia holds influence over the drug trade in Italy and South America, as well as being involved in money laundering, corruption and arms trading. Experts estimate its revenue to be in the tens of billions per year.