Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy's most wanted mafia held in Sicily, cops release video

Matteo Messina Denaro, the most wanted mafia boss in Italy, was apprehended in Sicily after 30 years on the run. According to reports, he was held in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, at a private clinic. He is said to be a boss in the infamous Cosa Nostra mafia. He was reportedly receiving treatment when he was arrested just before 10:00 (09:00 GMT) and transferred to a secure facility by the Carabinieri, according to Italian media. The arrest involved around 100 military personnel.

In a video circulating in Italian media, Messina Denaro is seen being dragged away as others cheer the Italian police from the street. In 2002, he was sentenced to life in jail in absentia for his involvement in many murders, including the killings of anti-mafia prosecutors Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone in 1992, the devastation caused by the bombs in Milan, Florence, and Rome in 1993, and the kidnapping, torture, and killing of an 11-year-old son of a mafioso who later gave state witness testimony.

Video Courtesy: Twitter


For the formidable Cosa Nostra organized crime organization, the mafia head Matteo Messina Denaro controlled racketeering, illegal garbage disposal, money laundering, and drug trafficking. He allegedly was Tot Riina's protege. Tot Riina was the boss of the Corleone family and was arrested in 1993 after 23 years on the run. Even though Messina Denaro had been on the run since 1993, it was believed that he was still giving commands to his staff members from various hidden places.



By keeping an eye on people closest to Messina Denaro, Italian detectives have frequently come close to arresting him over the years. As a result, his sister Patrizia and numerous other of his accomplices were detained in 2013. Additionally, Messina Denaro's valuable companies were taken by the police, further isolating him. However, Messina Denaro was rarely seen on camera, so when authorities tried to recreate his look decades after he fled, they were forced to depend on computer composites. It took until 2021 for a recording of his voice to be made public.

There are numerous tributes to the military's work coming in from all political perspectives. The arrest of Messina Denaro, said judge and former prosecutor general Gian Carlo Caselli, is an "exceptional... simply historical event" that might result in important advancements in the continuing investigations into the 1993 bomb attacks that claimed 10 lives around Italy. Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, praised the military for its efforts in capturing the "most significant mafia criminal gang member," calling it "a fantastic success for the state."

FAQs:

1. Where is Messina Denaro now?
   For his involvement in the deaths of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who were killed in separate events in 1992, Messina Denaro has been given a life sentence in absentia.
2. In Sicily, how many mafias are there?
   94 Mafia family groups.