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Mobster nabbed after 10 years
08/09/2006 12:54 - (SA)
London - A Mafia mobster who has been on the run for more than 10 years was arrested in London in a police operation that left one officer injured, officials said on Friday.
Raffaele Caldarelli, 35, was captured on Tuesday after months of undercover police work and surveillance.
The operation was carried out by officers from the serious organised crime unit as well as the Scotland Yard extradition unit after a request from the Italian police via Interpol.
Dozens of police were involved in the arrest in east London near a shoe shop that Caldarelli ran that specialised in Italian footwear. The suspect resisted arrest and one officer received minor injuries, police said.
Italian police confirmed the arrest and said Caldarelli had been living in a nearby apartment with his wife for at least three years.
Second mobster caught in London
He is the second on-the-run mobster to have been captured in London in the last 18 months. In May 2005, Francesco Tonicello - one of Italy's most wanted men - was taken into custody at a subway station in London where he worked as a news agent.
Caldarelli is wanted for Mafia association and extortion as well as trafficking in drugs and arms. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail in his absence in 1995.
Police in his hometown of Naples also suspect him of being involved in several murders. He allegedly was the boss of the Caldarelli Mafia clan based in the tough "Mercato" area of the city.
- AP
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