Legendary Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger, who has been on the run for more than a decade, was arrested Wednesday in Santa Monica, multiple law enforcement sources told The Times.

Bulger, 81, has been the subject of several books and was the inspiration for "The Departed," a 2006 Martin Scorsese film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

Bulger fled Boston in late 1994 as federal agents were about to arrest him in connection with 21 killings, racketeering and other crimes that spanned the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Photos: The hunt for James "Whitey" Bulger

He was arrested by the FBI inside a building without incident, according to the sources, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak on the matter. The details surrounding his arrest were unclear Wednesday night.

The FBI in Los Angeles declined to comment.

The arrest came as the FBI launched a media campaign in 14 cities to help determine Bulger's whereabouts.

The last credible sighting of Bulger was in London in 2002, the FBI said.

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-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter: @anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (Twitter: @LAJourno)

Photo: A poster featuring fugitives James "Whitey" Bulger and Catherine Greig is on display Monday at a news conference in Boston at which the FBI announced TV ads aimed at finding the mob boss and his mistress. Credit: Associated Press