Police in Brazil say they have arrested a suspected boss of the Naples-based organised crime syndicate known as the Camorra after almost 30 years on the run.

Pasquale Scotti was arrested this morning in the north-eastern city of Recife, where he used false identification, taxpayer and voter registration documents, a federal police statement said.

Scotti has been charged with murder, extortion and the illegal possession of weapons in Italy, the statement said.

The Italian government is expected to initiate extradition proceedings within the next few days, it added.

The Italian embassy said it would not have immediate comment on Scotti's arrest.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.