Freetown: Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, identified as one of Europe's most wanted criminals, is reported to have built a significant cocaine trafficking network in Sierra Leone.
According to Ghana Web, Leijdekkers relocated to Sierra Leone in late 2022, assuming the alias Omar Sheriff and presenting himself as a Turkish investor to cover his activities.
The investigation revealed that Leijdekkers lived lavishly in Freetown, moving around in luxurious vehicles and frequently meeting with government officials. He was also known for distributing cash and rice in communities around the capital. His true identity was uncovered after a video from a church service in Tihun on New Year's Day 2025 captured him near President Julius Maada Bio, which led to his identification by Dutch journalists as 'Chubby Jos'.
According to The Economist, Sierra Leone has become a crucial transit point for cocaine traveling from Latin America to Europe, with around one-third of cocaine reaching Europe passing through West African nations like C´te d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Cape Verde. The country's strategic location between Guinea-Bissau and C´te d'Ivoire further enhances its appeal to traffickers.
The report suggests that Leijdekkers leveraged his wealth and connections to gain influence in Sierra Leone, making payments to officials in power. It alleged that cocaine shipments were facilitated through the country's ports and coastline en route to Europe. He has been connected to multiple large cocaine hauls, including over 30 tonnes seized by Spanish authorities from a ship originating in Sierra Leone and another eight tonnes found in Germany hidden in a cocoa bean container from Sierra Leone.
Leijdekkers has been convicted in Belgium and the Netherlands for drug trafficking and related crimes. He faces a 57-year prison sentence in Belgium for cocaine trafficking, theft, and conspiracy to murder, while in the Netherlands, he was sentenced in absentia to 24 years and fined 96 million pounds for drug trafficking.
Efforts by Dutch authorities to capture Leijdekkers have been unsuccessful, and his precise whereabouts were undetermined at the time of the investigation. The report noted that Dutch special forces had considered but ultimately abandoned operations to apprehend him in Sierra Leone due to perceived risks.
The Economist eventually spotted Leijdekkers at a police station in Freetown, where he was reportedly greeted with salutes by uniformed officers. The publication reached out to President Bio's office, as well as the police and armed forces, regarding the allegations but received no response.