Dutch authorities have announced a €2 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted cocaine trafficker believed to be operating from Sierra Leone. The reward, announced by Dutch prosecutors on Monday, November 2, 2026, is the highest bounty ever offered by the Netherlands for the capture of a fugitive.
According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the €2 million reward will be paid to anyone who provides information that directly leads to Leijdekkers’ arrest. The amount is equivalent to approximately US$2.2 million. This development is linked to investigations by Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) into the alleged involvement of three individuals suspected of representing and facilitating the activities of the fugitive in Ghana.
The suspects were arrested following the seizure of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs in a consignment linked to Ghana. Authorities suspect the shipment could be connected to a wider international drug-trafficking operation. NACOC has confirmed that the three individuals are in its custody and are assisting with investigations into their alleged roles in the operation.
The Commission says the arrests form part of efforts to dismantle international drug-trafficking networks operating within or through Ghana. Investigators are expected to establish the extent of the suspects’ connections to Leijdekkers, their activities in Ghana and any possible links to the wider trafficking network.
Jos Leijdekkers, 35, is a Dutch national widely known by the nickname Bolle Jos, which translates to Chubby Jos. Dutch police say he also uses the alias Omar Sherrif in Sierra Leone, where he has reportedly been living for several years. He is considered a major figure in international cocaine trafficking, with Dutch authorities estimating that he has accumulated tens of millions of euros from the illicit trade.
A Dutch court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison last year after finding him guilty of involvement in the smuggling of more than seven metric tonnes of cocaine. He is also the subject of several ongoing criminal investigations in the Netherlands. In Belgium, Leijdekkers has received a separate prison sentence of 79 years. Dutch prosecutors further suspect him of money laundering and involvement in extreme violence linked to organised crime.
Despite his 24-year prison sentence in the Netherlands and a separate 79-year sentence in Belgium, Leijdekkers remains at large and continues to be the subject of multiple criminal investigations. According to Reuters report, efforts by the Netherlands to secure his extradition from Sierra Leone have so far been unsuccessful, with the West African country reportedly refusing to cooperate with the request.
Key points
- Dutch authorities offer €2m reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers.
- Jos Leijdekkers has received prison sentences of 24 years in the Netherlands and 79 years in Belgium.
- The fugitive cocaine trafficker is believed to be operating from Sierra Leone and has links to Ghana.
