Underworld kingpin Olcott dead

Jayakodi Arachchilage Oman Perera alias Jayasekara Arachchilage Olcott Perera was shot dead by the STF while he attempted to escape from STF arrest on Tuesday night. The postmortem was to be held yesterday at the Gampaha Police and the inquest will be held before the Minuwangoda Magistrate today.

Underworld leader and drug kingpin Olcott had lead a luxurious life in Kurunegala area playing hide and seek with the Police. He had bought two very expensive houses in Kurunegala and one of them was at the Millennium City in Kurunegala, said STF commandant DIG K L M Sarathchandra.

Police said that Olcott was needed by the Police in connection with nearly 45 murders and drug trafficking committed for over ten years. Police also said that he was a resident of Magazine road Borella and allegedly had connections with underworld leaders like Dimbula Ale Guna and Thelbawa. Police also said that he had engaged in trafficking heroin from India with Thelbawa. Police Spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody told the Daily News that Olcott was absconding the Police for nearly ten years. On information received by the STF Commandant, a special team of STF was assigned to arrest him. He was arrested at No 22, Palle Kalley Janapadaya in Kurunegala around 4.45 pm on Tuesday.

SP Jayakody further said that while Olcott was being brought to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, he had attempted to snatch a weapon from an STF officer.

He suffered gun shot injuries inside the vehicle in the struggle near the Japalawatta Industrial Zone junction in Minuwangoda. Olcott had been rushed to the Minuwangoda Hospital from where he had been transferred to the Gampaha Hospital. He died at the Gampaha Hospital around 9.40 pm. SM