Police arrest two of Italy's 'most wanted' mafia members in underground bunker stocked with guns, pasta and red wine

After years of skirmishes and close calls, two of Italy's most dangerous fugitives have been caught by police in an underground bunker – where they discovered the most Mafia things ever: guns, pasta and ricotta cheese.

According to Italian news agency Ansa, police found and arrested mobsters Giuseppe Ferraro, 47, and Giuseppe Crea, 37, in the countryside of southern Italy’s Calabria region. The pair, who are part of the dangerous criminal organisation 'Ndrangheta, were reported to be sleeping at the time.

The 'Ndrangheta mafia – formed in the 1860s – and are known participate in kidnappings, corruption, drug trafficking, gambling and murders, according to the FBI. The majority of their 100-200 members in the United States are based in New York and Florida.

Ferraro, a fugitive since 1998, was found guilty of murder and Mafia association decades ago. Crea was convicted of Mafia association and had been on the run for nine years. Their capture is the result of months of police investigation.

The underground hideout, the entrance of which was concealed by bushes and trees, was equipped with a kitchen and bathroom. Its inner walls were lined with about dozens of automatic weapons, including pump-action shotguns, pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle.

One of the prosecutors in the operation, Federico Cafiero De Raho, remarked: “They were living like animals, a life of separation and cold.”

The number of weapons suggested that the gangsters were ready for “war”, said the prosecutor. “It confirms how dangerous these people are. They are two of Italy's most wanted fugitives.”

Angelino Alfano, the country’s interior minister, said of their arrest: "Today is another wonder day for everyone and for the country because justice has won."