Gangster Ravi Pujari, on the run for the last 15 years, has been arrested in Senegal in West Africa, a source in the security establishment said Friday.

Pujari, who allegedly ran an extortion syndicate, was held from a hotel in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on January 22, a senior official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The Mumbai Police did not comment on whether the report was true.

The Indian Embassy got information about the arrest on January 25, the official said.

Pujari is facing dozens of cases of extortion and murder in various parts of India.

His trusted lieutenants, William Rodricks and Akash Shetty, were recently arrested by the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police in an extortion case.

The Indian authorities will now initiate the extradition process to bring Pujari back to the country, the official said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

First Published: Feb 01, 2019 20:28 IST