Drug baron meets his Waterloo

By Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

He was the most ruthless killer wanted by the police for nearly a decade. A crack team of Special Task Force (STF) commandos on a tip off stormed into his hideout, a luxury retreat in the suburbs of Kurunegala and arrested the fugitive. According to police Olcot did not resist arrest or try to escape from his house. The notorious underworld boss had lived on a low key for nearly two years under a false name, STF Sources told the Sunday Observer. The operation was directed by DIG, STF K. M. L. Sarathchandra. SP. Waruna Jayasundera of the STF carried out the raid.

According to DIG Sarathchandra intelligence gathered by the STF Commandos helped them locate the runaway fugitive and unmask him. The notorious underworld boss, was none other than Jayakody Arachchige Ruwan Perera alias "Olcot", the most dreaded gang leader in recent times. Olcot has been linked to more than 28 killings, several robberies and abductions in Colombo and its suburbs during the past two decades.

He amassed a fortune by dealing in heroin to the envy of his rival underworld bosses. Mere mention of his name sent shockwaves to his rival underworld bosses.

Olcot began his criminal career in 1988 when he shot and killed a rival underworld man in Colombo. Although he was linked to more than 40 killings in Colombo and the suburbs few dared to complain to the police for fear of reprisals. A ruthless man who liquidated his rivals to dominate the drug trade in Colombo, Olcot started his killing spree relatively at a young age and was said to be around 39 years when he was shot dead.

While searching the luxury residence of Olcot, STF commandos stumbled upon a foreign made micro pistol with several rounds of ammunition. The STF Commandos questioned the suspect at length with regard to his immovable properties and learnt that he owned another luxury residence in Kurunegala. The ill gotten money from the drug trade had helped him become rich, police said. The suspect may have lived in both residences to avoid him being discovered, police said. In fact both houses had been purchased for four million," STF sources said.

Since his return from abroad, Olcot had lived at Kurunegala on a low key under a bogus name. He even boasted to villagers that he earned money in Italy.

Following his arrest the STF Commandos bundled him into a Defender vehicle to be brought down to the CID headquarters in Colombo to be questioned further with regard to several unsolved killings. Whilst being escorted to Colombo under heavy security somewhere between Minuwangoda and Gampaha the suspect grabbed the weapon of a STF commando to free himself from custody. The suspect then fired at a STF Sub Inspector and attempted to flee when a STF commando shot him dead. The single bullet fired by a commando was fatal as it had lodged in his head. The underworld boss succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Gampaha hospital. The injured sub inspector was also rushed to the Gampaha hospital and is said to be out of danger. Damage had also been caused to the Defender vehicle when Olcot fired indiscriminately to free himself.

Although many warrants had been issued by courts for his arrest Olcot evaded arrest by slipping away from the country during the past ten years. Olcot, a resident of Magazine Road Borella shot and killed a Wesleyite school rugger player named Janaka Peteron at Polhengoda last year. His body was later found at Thalahena. According to the police the killing was over a personal dispute he had with the victim.

Olcot's close associates were Kimbula-Ela Guna and Thel Bala who helped him to master the heroin trade. It was a well knitted operation with Olcot coming into their fold. Kimbula Ela Guna and Thel Bala were the most notorious underworld bosses involved in the drug trade. However, Thel Bala was shot dead by a rival gang a few years back.

With the help of Kimbula Ela Guna, Olcot flourished in the drug trade. Heroin was smuggled into the country from the Indian Sub Continent, police said. Olcot had an elaborate network of drug distributing centres in Colombo and in the suburbs. According to Police Olcot was involved with Kimbu-Ela Guna and Thel Bala in the failed assassination attempt of the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike at the Colombo Municipal Council grounds a few years ago.

A female LTTE suicide bomber who blew herself up at the Municipal grounds killed several persons including police officers and injured scores of people including the former President. Following the assassination attempt Olcot escaped to India when the police was looking for him. Thereafter nobody knew about the whereabouts of Olcot for more than a decade. His disappearance baffled the police at the very outset but learnt subsequently that he had fled to South India. STF commandos said that Olcot had directed his drug running operations while being based at Kurunegala. However, he used his former residence at the Magazine road Borella as the main centre for drug running operations in Colombo. "Olcot had several men employed there for running his drug syndicate. He sold more than half a kilogram of heroin worth millions of rupees from the Borella centre," police said.

Police records show that Olcot was responsible for a spate of killings that began in 1988. The names of persons whom he assassinated are as follows. A person named Rani was killed in 1988. His other victims include Lionel Boteju, Babi, Rajendran, Mangala, Priyantha, Harsha Saman, Anil, Nelanthi Geethanjali, Wasantha Pushpakumara alias Kalu Wasantha, kavainda, Saman Suranga, Sumith Heenatigala alias Ukku, Damith Pushpa Kumara, Loku Putha, Paddy, Samatha, Antoni Gratian, Priyankara Wijendra Peters alias G boy, Mathew Gunatilleke, Thiagaraja alias Neil, Krishantha Boteju alias Sudu, Ruwan Fernando, Jeeweka, Chanaka Chaminda Peters the ruggerite who was abducted in April 2009 and shot dead. According to police 60 percent of the killings have been reported. The Minuwangoda police have launched an investigation on the micro pistol found in the possession of Olcot.

Meanwhile police are on the lookout for gang members of Olcot who have gone underground following his death. The gang members have been identified as Bopearachi who fled to Italy. Others who are absconding are Nadun Dharmapriya, Kamal Perera, Dananjaya Ruwan Wijeratne, Jayakodi Arachchilage Dhamitha, Danapala, Waruna, Malitha, Para Hematha, Indika, and Nimal Somaratne who was shot dead at Magazine Road Borella. In 2000 February a police constable and an Army officer was shot dead at Wellampitiya. The gang was also responsible for killing a seven-year-old boy in Colombo in 1998.