Most Wanted Mafia Head Arrested In Madrid

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021 Madrid Metropolitan madrid news, spain crime news

The alleged head of one of Italy´s most feared mafia families, the Calabrian Ndrangueta, was arrested yesterday, 5th August, in central Madrid.

Spanish National Police officers swooped on the Domenico Paviaglianiti, as he was leaving his residence in the Cuatro Caminos district as he was going to his car.

Paviaglianiti had fled his native Italy where he had been convicted of murder in 2005 and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

He had been provisionally released pending a judicial review but then subsequently absconded to Spain where he avoid serving the remainder of the 11 years left of the term.

The Italian authorities tipped off their Spanish counterparts after he was spotted in Barcelona and Spanish National Police and Carabinieri launched Operation ” Rosa De Los Vientos,”to seek his extradition.

In a police press statement it was revealed that the arresting officers found the suspect with false Portuguese identity documentation, six mobile phones, and almost €6,000 in cash in 200 Euro notes.

Paviaglianiti was a feared and brutal mafia head in the Calabria region situated on the boot of Italy.

He now faces formal extradition proceedings from the Italian state prosecutor in Bologna.

Spain is a favoured destination for on-the-run Mafia operatives although with greater cooperation with the Italian authorities the Spanish police have managed to arrest many most wanted suspects.

In March, Spanish police arrested Giuseppe Refrigeri, 67, who had been living incognito in Estepona, in the province of Malaga, for 10 years.