Italian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro ,dies in custody at 61

Italian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was caught in January after spending 30 years on the run, has died, AFP reported on Monday, citing Italian media.

A handout photo shows Matteo Messina Denaro Italy's most wanted mafia boss after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy, January 16, 2023. Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Published on:

25 Sep 2023, 2:26 am

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was caught in January after spending 30 years on the run, has died, AFP reported on Monday, citing Italian media.

Messina Denaro, 61, was suffering from cancer at the time of his arrest. As his condition worsened in recent weeks he was transferred to a hospital from the maximum security prison in central Italy, where he was initially held.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Kim Coghill)