Ilir Meto, the Albanian known as one of the biggest mafia bosses in Italy, has been arrested in Brussels. 

He was the head of an Albanian-Italian organized group and had been declared wanted by international authorities for 17 years. 

56-year-old Meto, known by the nickname "Doctor", was sentenced to 14 years in prison in his absence in 2004, and since then has been on the run in Brussels. 

According to foreign media, in 2012, he was again sentenced in absentia, to 15 years, in both cases for drug trafficking. 

Meto was reportedly arrested in Saint-Josse, where he lived with his wife and children. Meto had been under surveillance for a long time by the anti-mafia team of the city of Lecce, and was kept under surveillance until the day of his arrest. 

Metos's name has also been linked to arms trafficking and the Italian-Albanian gang he led with another Italian-Moroccan organized crime group. This week he surrendered to Italian authorities and will face 29 years in prison.