Dutch Seek $250M from Fugitive Drug Lord Allegedly Hiding in Sierra Leone

Dutch prosecutors have launched efforts to confiscate a record $250 million from fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted criminals, who is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone.

Leijdekkers, 33 — also known as “Bolle Jos” or “Chubby Jos” — allegedly earned over €114 million from 14 cocaine shipments in under a year. Dutch authorities say he laundered the proceeds through high-end assets including real estate in Turkey and Dubai, two Bentleys, luxury watches, designer bags, and nearly €47 million in gold.

The Rotterdam court sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years for murder and drug trafficking. Europol has described him as a key player in international cocaine smuggling and is offering over $225,000 for tips leading to his arrest.

Authorities say they are “certain” Leijdekkers is in Sierra Leone. This belief gained traction in January after photos surfaced online showing a man closely resembling him at a religious event with high-ranking officials — including, allegedly, President Julius Maada Bio and his daughter Agnes Bio, with whom Leijdekkers is rumored to be in a relationship. Reports even claim she is pregnant with his child.

Despite multiple extradition requests from the Netherlands, Sierra Leonean authorities have largely remained silent. In April, the government claimed the man seen with President Bio’s family was not Leijdekkers, but someone named Omarr Sheriff.

Meanwhile, journalists in Sierra Leone say they are being bribed and threatened to stop investigating Leijdekkers’ presence in the country. Some have fled abroad for safety. A reporter seeking asylum in the U.S. accused Sierra Leone’s government of shielding Leijdekkers, stating, “There is no freedom of the press in our country.”

Dutch prosecutors stress that the $250 million seizure effort is only the beginning as they attempt to track down the full extent of Leijdekkers’ global assets.