Italian alleged mobster linked to Van Goghs is held in Dubai

ROME – One of Italy's astir wanted men, an alleged large cocaine trafficker who investigators accidental bought 2 stolen Van Gogh paintings connected the achromatic marketplace with cause money, has been arrested successful Dubai, Naples-based constabulary said Thursday.

Raffaele Imperiale, an alleged kingpin successful the Naples-based Camorra organized transgression syndicate, was arrested connected Aug. 4, Italy's authorities constabulary and fiscal crimes constabulary corps said successful a associated statement.

Imperiale, 46, was being held successful the United Arab Emirates portion Italy’s justness ministry completes extradition procedures.

Italian authorities had been seeking him since January 2016 for alleged wealth laundering and planetary cause trafficking arsenic portion of organized transgression activity, according to the Italian Interior Ministry. He was considered 1 of Italy's astir unsafe fugitives.

“He was capable to conception an imposing web of planetary cause trafficking, successful peculiar successful cocaine,'' the constabulary said. According to Italian investigators, Imperiale started arsenic an ”international broker" successful the cause commercialized successful the aboriginal 2000s, with his ties to almighty Camorra clans surviving assorted feuds among Naples mobsters.

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Imperiale is "a apical exponent of planetary cause trafficking and wealth laundering, who accumulated immense amounts of illicit wealthiness acknowledgment supra each to cocaine sales,'' said Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese.

In 2016, 2 Van Gogh paintings stolen successful 2002 from an Amsterdam depository were recovered stashed successful a non-descript farmhouse connected spot owned by Imperiale successful the Naples-area municipality of his birth, Castellamare di Stabia.

“The wealthiness illicitly accumulated allowed him to bargain connected the achromatic marketplace 2 Van Gogh paintings of unquantifiable value,” constabulary said. They referred to the 1882 “View of the Sea astatine Scheveningen” and a 1884-1885 work, "Congregation leaving the Reformed Church successful Nuenen,'' which had been stolen from the Van Gogh Museum successful Amsterdam.

Italian fiscal constabulary recovered the paintings wrapped successful fabric sheets, stuffed into a container and hidden down a partition successful a bathroom. The artworks were discovered arsenic portion of a seizure of spot from Imperiale and different reputed Camorra cause kingpin.

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Police noted that Imperiale gave an interrogation this twelvemonth to Naples regular paper Il Mattino successful which helium denied immoderate nexus to the depository theft and claimed helium bought the paintings due to the fact that helium is simply a passionate person of art.

"I bought them straight from the thief, due to the fact that the terms was attractive,. But astir of each due to the fact that I emotion art,'' Imperiale was quoted arsenic telling the newspaper. He made nary concealed of having lived successful Dubai for respective years.

Investing successful art, existent property and morganatic businesses similar hotels, restaurants and pharmacies is progressively communal among Italian mobsters awash successful cause trafficking proceeds, according to Italian investigators.

Shortly earlier the Van Gogh paintings were discovered, Italy's fiscal constabulary seized immoderate 40 houses successful Spain that they alleged Imperiale had gotten with illicitly acquired revenue.

Italian anti-Mafia investigators person pursuing Imperiale's activities for years. The apprehension of a adjacent Imperiale subordinate who supervised the importation of cocaine from Venezuela led to the 2013 seizure of 1,330 kilos (roughly 1.5 tons) of the cause successful Paris, according to Italian police.

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Italian quality reports said Imperiale lived for astir 10 years successful Amsterdam portion allegedly directing cause shipments to Italy and past moved to Madrid and yet Dubai.

Dutch regular newspapers De Telegraaf reported that helium took implicit 1 of Amsterdam’s marijuana-selling coffeeshops successful 1996.

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Mike Corder successful Amsterdam contributed to this report.

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