A fugitive Italian gangster who had been on the run for the last seven years was finally arrested after he started posting cooking shows on Youtube.
53-year-old Marc Feren Claude Biart who had been keeping a low profile in the Dominican Republic was undone by his desire to show off his cooking skills on the internet. Though he was very careful to hide his face, the gangster neglected to hide his distinctive body tattoos.
The Italian police were able to track down Biart to his hideout in the South American country through the cooking videos he uploaded to Youtube. He was arrested last Wednesday and has since been extradited back to Italy.
Biart is alleged to be a member of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia. He is facing charges of allegedly trafficking cocaine into the Netherlands on behalf of the Cacciola clan of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
The BBC reports that 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.
