Loading articles...

Brazilian police arrest Italian drug fugitives

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian authorities say they have arrested major Italian drug traffickers for extradition.

The federal police say the two are suspected of working for the South American branch of the ‘Ndrangheta crime cartel based in Calabria in southern Italy. Italian authorities confirm their identities as Nicola Assisi and his son Patrick.

Brazilian police supervisor Luciano Flores told reporters Monday that the two lived in a luxury penthouse with hidden rooms for stashing drugs, money, guns, and even themselves in the case of a police raid.

A Federal Police statement says the two suspects have been fugitives since 2014 and also lived in Portugal and Argentina using fake documents.

Italy’s ANSA news agency say the two have been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The Associated Press