Dror Alperon, Israel's most wanted paratrooper, turns himself in to police

Dror Alperon, son of crime boss Ya'acov Alperon, gives himself up after evading arrest for two weeks.

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
dror alperon 298.88 (photo credit: Channel 10)
dror alperon 298.88
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Dror Alperon, Israel's most infamous AWOL paratrooper and son of mob boss Ya'acov Alperon, turned himself in to the Tel Aviv Police on Wednesday afternoon, after disappearing for two months following the hit attempt on Alperon rival Rafi Ohana. Alperon, together with his army buddy Amir Nigarker, 20, of Ashdod, is suspected of attempting to gun down Ohana outside his Gan Haim home. An indictment has already been filed against Nigarker for the incident. Prosecutors say Nigarker arrived at the home and fired over 20 bullets from his IDF-issue M-16 at Ohana, killing Ohana's dog and injuring Ohana in the leg. Alperon disappeared immediately after the hit attempt, and neither he nor his attorney would say where he was hiding while AWOL from his IDF unit. Although neither would respond as to why Alperon turned himself in at this point, he may have been waiting to see - through Nigarker's indictment - what evidence police had against him. That indictment was filed approximately two weeks ago, leaving ample time for Alperon family lawyers to peruse its contents. Alperon's father was also arrested in connection with the hit attempt, under suspicion that he put out the contract on Ohana, but was released by the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court in January despite a police request to extend his remand. The Alperon family has denied any involvement in the alleged hit attempt on Ohana, whose family has a long-standing blood feud with the Alperons that dates back to a 2002 hit. Ohana's brother, Hananya, was murdered just outside of his Ganei Tikva home in March 2003, and Ohana himself was suspected of trying to take out a contract on the Alperon brothers a year later. This was not the first time the younger Alperon had disappeared when facing the heat for a high-profile underworld tangle. In January 2006, he was allegedly involved in a scuffle during an "underworld summit" at Herzliya's Daniel Hotel and was suspected of stabbing rival crime boss Amir Mullner. In that case as well, Alperon disappeared, along with his father, for a month before turning himself in to police.