De Lucia told reporters that Messina Denaro had hidden out in many parts of Italy over the past three decades, most recently in Sicily.

Speaking at the same news conference, General Pasquale Angelosanto of the ROS special force unit of the Carabinieri police, added that Messina Denaro was wearing a watch worth 35,000 euros ($37,880) when officers detained him. ($1 = 0.9240 euros)

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Crispian Balmer)