Italian mafia leader snared in southern Spain

A HIGH RANKING mafia boss has been held on the Costa del Sol.

The 69-year-old mobster, named only as CP, was arrested on an international warrant at a pizzeria he owns in holiday hotspot Benalmadena.

It comes after a five year drug trafficking probe by police in Italy, with 12 other leaders of the gang arrested in the southern region of Calabria.

All belong to the dangerous Ndragheta clan and are suspected of smuggling large quantities of hashish to Italy, police said in a statement.

The operation has been headed by CP since 2014, when the two original leaders, including his brother, were also arrested in Spain.

He regularly visited them in prison and was also responsible for the collection and distribution of money connected to the operation.

A Madrid judge has remanded him in custody while authorities prepare to extradite him to Italy, where he reportedly faces a 24-year jail sentence.