An Italian Mafia Fugitive Apprehended after Police Finds His Cooking Videos on YouTube

Apparently, our love for food can backfire. At least it did for this Italian mafia fugitive who was captured recently.

Although he was successfully hiding from authorities for 7 years, his passion for cooking and sharing his recipes on YouTube gave him up.

The man, Marc Feren Claude Biart, launched the YouTube channel together with his wife. He was arrested in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, where he hid for the last 5 years.

Italian Mafia Fugitive Caught through His YouTube Videos

According to the statement released by the police, the love this man has for Italian cuisine allowed the police forces to follow his traces on the Internet and the man’s love for tattoos helped them recognize that he’s actually a fugitive.

Despite hiding his face successfully while showing the public his cooking skills, Biart didn’t think of hiding his distinctive body features, i.e. his tattoos.  

The police explain that it’s believed that Biart is part of the Ndrangheta Crime Syndicate, one of the most potent and feared in Europe. He had been wanted for cocaine trafficking from the Netherlands since 2014.

They Found an Important Fugitive Thanks to Open Source Intelligence

Biart who’s 53 previously worked in an Italian restaurant and tried to keep a low profile while he hid at the Caribbean. Locals knew him as Marc and he kept his distance from the Italian community in this popular and loved tourist destination.

Lt. Col. Massimiliano Galasso, a police official of Reggio-Calabria said how they never ceased the search for Biart and recently used open source intelligence.

They were alerted by his wife’s activity on YouTube and equipped with knowledge that Biart worked in an Italian restaurant once, they discovered him on the videos and realized that this must be him.

Biart was extradited to Milan, Italy. The channel which was launched earlier this year has been deactivated and Birth is currently in custody.

Sources:

BBC

NBC NEWS