ROME -- A long-sought 32-year-old accused member of the 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian version of the Mafia, has been arrested by local police at the Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport in Indonesia, Italian police said Wednesday.

 

Antonio Strangio, who goes by the name of "Janchi,"  had been on the "Red Notice" of Interpol, an international advisory list of wanted people, for seven years, officers said.

 

 Strangio is accused of drug trafficking in collaboraion with the Mafia method's "Second Eclipse" operation. The investigation was conducted by the police of Reggio Calabria. 

 

 The recent investigation was a continuation of the previous "Operation Eclipse" that was held in July 2015. Eleven people were arrested from various gangs from the Vibonese and Reggio areas, all of whom were linked to the Bellocco clan. 

 

 In 2016, Strangio had fled for Australia, where he became a naturalized citizen and therefore could not be extradited. The Reggio Calabria police, in collaboration with I-CAN (Interpol Cooperation Against 'Ndrangheta), continually followed his tracks during his time in Australia. At the first misstep, they captured him with the help of Interpol Indonesia. He was arrested in Bali, shortly after leaving Australia on Feb. 2. His arrest was announced Wednesday. 

 

 Strangio's arrest came just a few hours after the capture of another Calabrian gangster, Edguardo Greco in Sant'Etienne in France. Greco, a fugitive for 17 years and known as the "chef of the 'Ndrangheta," because of his culinary skills, was caught and sentenced to life in prison for double murder. 

 

 Now with Strangio, there have been 42 arrested Italian fugitives around the world in less than than three years since the start of I-CAN. The police state that I-CAN is focusing on "increasing the police forces of 13 countries," focusing on those who are most exposed to the danger of 'Ndrangheta.

 

 The 'Ndrangheta operates cryptically, using encrypted platforms and cryptocurrencies to commit many of their crimes. According to the police, 'Ndrangheta had previously been viewed as an "Italian folk phenomenon," but that it is now acknowledged as one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world with higher turnover from drug trafficking profits than either the Sicilian Cosa Nostra or the Naples Camorra.

 

 jd