Alleged mobster accused of buying contraband including Ferrero Rocher and Peroni with dud cheques

AN alleged mafia boss, formerly linked to Aberdeen, has been arrested in Italy on tax fraud charges.

Arturo Salvatore di Caprio, former boss of the La Torre Camorra mafia clan, was accused of buying goods, including Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Peroni beer that were bought with dud cheques, to sell on.

Di Caprio’s link to Scotland dates back to when the Aberdeen end of the mob operation was run by Antonio La Torre, the so-called Don On The Don, who owned two restaurants in the city.

Aberdeen was used as a money-laundering base, away from the watching eyes of the Italian authorities, for 20 years from the mid 1980s.

Di Caprio worked with Michele Siciliano, a cousin of La Torre, who lived in Aberdeen for a number of years and became a state witness after giving himself up to anti-mafia prosecutors.

Now Di Caprio, 50, has been arrested in Italy on tax fraud charges involving millions of euros worth of stolen goods.

Italian police said Di Caprio and two other men allegedly bought products without paying VAT, claiming it was for sale abroad then sold the products in Italy at a discounted price.

He said: “The company made an undeclared revenue of €26 million, creating fake invoices for €35m and avoiding VAT of €10m.”

In 2009, Di Caprio had €5m worth of assets confiscated by the Italian authorities, including wine, oil and furniture which police believe were destined for resale in Scotland. Prosecutor Paolo Pecori described Di Caprio as: “The top of a pyramid of fraudsters connected to La Torre Scotland boss Michele Siciliano.”

Police swooped on La Torre and his brother Augusto this year, after they allegedly uncovered evidence of the pair threatening to kill two public prosecutors.

But Antonio La Torre has been released from jail after charges of extortion, attempted robbery and being involved in the mafia were dropped.