Italian mafia kingpin and Pablo Escobar fan arrested in cocaine capital Colombia after four years on the run
AN ITALIAN mafia kingpin has been arrested on drug trafficking charges after spending four years on the run.
Luigi Belvedere - a proud Pablo Escobar fan - was caught by cops in the cocaine capital of Colombia and now faces almost 19 years behind bars.
The 32-year-old had been on the run since December 2020 and was on the Italian interior ministry's list of most dangerous fugitives.
Cops tracked down Belvedere, the mafia boss of the Camorra gang, in Medellin overnight before arresting him.
When they announced he had finally been caught police gave out a picture of Belvedere posing by the grave of drug lord Escobar.
Investigators revealed they found the wanted man's location due to intercepted information "from a well-known messaging service".
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The arrest was coordinated by the Naples District Attorney's Office with assistance from the Caserta Police Headquarters Flying Squad and Colombian investigative organisations.
Specialist EU police agency Europol also helped to track Belvedere down.
The mobster has been a main target for Italian and Colombian authorities for years since since he was found guilty of importing cocaine and acting as an intermediary between two drug cartels.
His full sentence is believed to be 18 years, nine months and 20 days.
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The Camorra mafia linked to Belvedere is one of the oldest and largest organised crime gangs in Italy.
They are known to deal in drug trafficking, racketeering, counterfeiting and money laundering.
Camorra members are said to have close ties with fellow gangs in South America and Spain.
It comes as Colombia is said to be cracking down on gangs across the country.
The chilling legacy of Escobar still looms over many cities with police battling with gangs daily.
The country has a reputation for being unsafe, with official British channels warning that it is plagued by kidnapping, drugs, organised crime and terrorism.
Who was Pablo Escobar?
PABLO Escobar was a notorious Colombian drug lord and the leader of the Medellín Cartel, one of the most powerful and violent criminal organisations in history.
Born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Colombia, Escobar rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest and most feared men in the world through the illegal cocaine trade.
During the 1980s, Escobar controlled the majority of the cocaine entering the United States, making billions of dollars.
He was known for his ruthless tactics, including bribery, intimidation, and murder, to maintain power and influence.
His cartel was responsible for thousands of deaths, including those of government officials, judges, police officers, and civilians.
Escobar's influence extended beyond the drug trade.
He used his wealth to fund social programs in his hometown of Medellín, building houses, schools, and sports facilities, which earned him some support among the local population.
But his reign of terror also led to significant violence and instability in Colombia.
The Colombian government, with support from the United States, launched a massive manhunt to capture Escobar.
He was eventually killed by the Colombian National Police on December 2, 1993, in Medellín.
