Italian fugitive connected to stolen Van Gogh paintings arrested

FILE PHOTO: People stand around a case containing two recovered stolen Vincent Van Gogh paintings during a news conference in Capodimonte, Italy, February 6, 2017. The paintings were found in an Italian country house belonging to an alleged mafia drug smuggler in September 2016, after they disappeared in a heist in Amsterdam. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

ROME (Reuters) - A suspected Italian drug trafficker who police believe may have bought two stolen Vincent Van Gogh paintings was arrested in the United Arab Emirates, a police statement said on Thursday.

Raffaele Imperiale, 46, was arrested in Dubai on Aug. 4 by local authorities, who cooperated with the Italian police. He had been on the run since 2016 and Italy had included him in the list of its most dangerous fugitives.