george Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Wanted mafia boss arrested in Thailand ROME, March 31, 2012 (AFP) - Thai police have arrested a wanted Italian mafia boss after he flew to Bangkok airport, Italian media said Saturday. Vito Roberto Palazzolo, from Terrasini near the Sicilian capital Palermo and considered to be a leading member of the Cosa Nostra Sicilian mafia for whom he laundered money, was arrested on Friday. He was sentenced in absentia by an Italian court in 2009 to nine years in jail for association with the mafia and had been living in South Africa under the name Robert von Palace Kolbatschenko. South African authorities had declined to extradite the 64-year-old. Investigators tracked him down after monitoring his Facebook profile and that of his friends and family. Italian media reported that Thailand had agreed to his extradition to Italy but that his lawyers said he was a South African national, even though he had assumed it under another identity. When he was first sentenced in 2006, public prosecutors in Palermo said Palazzolo was "one of the most important Cosa Nostra figures in 20 years, notably because of his key role between business and the mafia". In South Africa he is seen as a major business leader with interests in mineral water, security and ostrich farming. Investigators believe he is also the owner of a hunting ground popular with the rich and famous, and an investor in a company in Angola that specialising in precious stones. He was also said to be the owner of a diamond cutting business. -- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-03-31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bigbamboo Posted March 31, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 The Thai police arresting a mafia boss. That'll confuse them! 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chang_paarp Posted March 31, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 The Thai police arresting a mafia boss. That'll confuse them! They don't like competition. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipo1000 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Maybe they just wanted him in their midst, like it belongs a true family.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardholder Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I imagine the BiB will let him go once he has paid over 200 Baht ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DP25 Posted March 31, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 The Thai police arresting a mafia boss. That'll confuse them! Probably just brought in for questioning. I'm sure he has lots of useful advice 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MEL1 Posted March 31, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 Wanted mafia boss arrested in Thailand It's a shame the reciprocal didn't happen in Italy! -mel. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elshaheen Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I agree on most of your points. Italian mafia boss comes to Thailand for rest. I could see him telling the officer in chathe, "I make you an offer you cannot refuse. I only authors once." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkomoncents Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Too bad they never seem to be able to do this with the mafia bosses that actually LIVE in Thailand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londonthai Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 lets see, how much bail would be and imagine an extra large envelope for the cops and judge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancealot Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Good for him he has been arrested in a corruption sensitive country. Things will work out for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post borisloosebrain Posted March 31, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 He sounds qualified enough to get appointed as a Govt advisor. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 What ever happen to the Russian musician Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prefabs Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 What ever happen to the Russian musician He was never in the mafia, so why do you ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAWP Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 South African authorities had declined to extradite him. Anyone knows why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancealot Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 South African authorities had declined to extradite him. Anyone knows why? Good question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noitom Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 The mafia capo will likely be "detained" and placed in a cell near Rakesh Saxena. Saxena will subsequently be found dead from unknown causes. This is called Thai outsourcing. How else would the Thais have figured out the true identity of Robert von Palace Kolbatschenko? they outsourced the Saxena job to the mafia and the mafia gave instructions that their man would be arriving in Bangkok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawaiimomo Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thailand has no extradition treaty with Italy, has it? I wonder why they agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExC5Engineer Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Sounds to me like they will be getting some expert advise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukey1979 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Sicilian mafia bosses using facebook! Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RisqEM Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I think this will be more of an educational experience for the BIB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 South African authorities had declined to extradite him. Anyone knows why? Waiting for an extra-large envelope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w11guy Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 (edited) If he was going to offer a bribe to be set free it would already have happened. He's arrested and so going back to Italy. No amount of money will get him out of this. Just like that Russian guy, some arrests are too high-profile to have the people walk free. Edited April 1, 2012 by w11guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowsdawdle Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 South African authorities had declined to extradite him. Anyone knows why? Good question Said above that he was a SA national. That might be the first clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TackyToo Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Maybe the BIB set him free after he agrees to give free private coaching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 lets see, how much bail would be and imagine an extra large envelope for the cops and judge He's not charged with anything in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miami Bob Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 "Investigators tracked him down after monitoring his Facebook profile and that of his friends and family" . Someone wanted by inter pol is dumb enough to be on facebook! That's amazing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohnnyBKK Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I agree this is likely too high-profile for him to buy his way out, and most likely international agents were on the ground monitoring the initial approach and arrest from the beginning, because boy this guy should have been able to buy his way out if anyone can. I imagine it also cost the Italians a bit to ensure cooperation, but not that much. I doubt this guy would have been "competing" with the local mafias/BiB, they're usually smart enough to suss out the local power structures and cooperate. But someone this serious would have been a real wild card for the locals, probably a bit too nervous-making for them to be willing to deal with. So good job to all concerned, the world is a little better off. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david555 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 South African authorities had declined to extradite him. Anyone knows why? some country 's does not extradite their subjects........'as he COULD (!) be a south African .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swillowbee Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 ... no better country in which to be than Thailand, if you are a crook ... welcomed arms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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