A fugitive Italian gangster, Marc Feren Claude Biart, has been arrested by the police after seven years on the run.
Biart posted videos of his culinary skills to participate in a cooking show. While he carefully hid his face, he failed to disguise his body tattoos.
But Italian police tracked down Biart, 53, through the culinary videos he had uploaded to YouTube.
The alleged member of the ‘Ndrangheta crime gang was arrested in the Dominican Republic last Wednesday and has now been extradited back to Italy.
Biart had reportedly been leading a quiet life in the town of Boca Chica, police said in a statement.
He had been on the run since 2014, when he was wanted by police for allegedly trafficking cocaine into the Netherlands on behalf of the Cacciola clan of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
The ‘Ndrangheta is considered one of the world’s most powerful organised crime groups because it controls most of the cocaine entering Europe. It is based in Calabria, the region that forms the tip of Italy’s “boot”.
The alleged clan boss, Luigi Mancuso, 66, is known as “The Uncle”. Other members go by nicknames such as “The Wolf”, “Fatty” and “Blondie”.
They are all now facing justice in the biggest mafia trial Italy has seen in decades. There are 355 alleged mobsters and corrupt officials who have been charged after a long investigation into the ‘Ndrangheta group.
During a pre-trial hearing, it took more than three hours to read the names of the defendants, AFP news agency reported at the time. The charge sheet includes murder, drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering.
More than 900 witnesses are expected to give evidence at the trial, which opened in January and will last two years.
