The Netherlands is seeking cooperation from Ghanaian authorities to track down Jos Leijdekkers, a fugitive drug trafficker known as 'Bolle Jos', who has been sentenced to over 80 years in prison. Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel is pushing for Ghana's assistance in the manhunt, which has so far focused on Sierra Leone. The goal is to cut off the supply lines feeding Leijdekkers' trafficking network, which has been linked to cocaine shipments moving through West African ports.
Leijdekkers has been sentenced to more than 80 years in prison across the Netherlands and Belgium on drug trafficking and related charges. Despite the sentences, he remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone, where he allegedly has ties to figures close to the president's family. The Netherlands has been seeking his extradition from Sierra Leone without success, and Dutch authorities are now looking to widen the pressure campaign to other countries in the region, including Ghana.
Ghana's link to the case has sharpened in recent weeks, with the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) arresting three suspects allegedly connected to the Leijdekkers network in September 2026. The arrests followed a cocaine seizure by French customs officials at the Port of Dunkirk, where nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine were intercepted, concealed in a container of recycled plastic waste shipped from Ghana. The seizure was estimated to carry a street value of roughly $260 million.
Four Ghanaians, including Desmond Koranteng Curiel, have been arraigned before the High Court in Accra on charges of conspiracy to export narcotic drugs and exportation of narcotic drugs. All four have pleaded not guilty. NACOC has maintained that Ghana will not serve as a safe haven or transit point for international drug trafficking organisations. However, the Dutch request for direct cooperation underscores how closely Ghana is now being watched.
Ghana was ranked the fifth-largest source country for cocaine seized at Belgium's Port of Antwerp in 2025, with 55 tonnes intercepted. The European Commission has already suspended €18 million in budget support to Sierra Leone over its failure to hand over Leijdekkers, and the Netherlands is hoping a further €22.5 million earmarked for 2027 will also be blocked unless he is extradited. Dutch authorities are separately pursuing European measures to freeze his assets and restrict his movement.
The international scrutiny arrives as Ghana's own political class debates how the country became a cocaine transit point. Former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has demanded a probe into the financiers behind Ghana's cocaine shipments, while Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the government of using arrests as a 'red herring' to avoid a fuller investigation into the trade. The Dutch police may be deployed to Ghana to work alongside local authorities, although no date has been given for when this might happen.
Extradition remains the central obstacle in the Leijdekkers case, with Sierra Leone yet to act on the Netherlands' requests despite months of diplomatic and financial pressure. NACOC, Ghana's lead agency against narcotics, is tasked with coordinating national efforts to prevent and control drug trafficking and abuse. The outcome of the manhunt and the cooperation between Dutch and Ghanaian authorities remains to be seen.
Key points
- The Netherlands is seeking Ghana's help in tracking down Jos Leijdekkers, a fugitive drug trafficker sentenced to over 80 years in prison.
- Ghana was ranked the fifth-largest source country for cocaine seized at Belgium's Port of Antwerp in 2025.
- The European Commission has suspended €18 million in budget support to Sierra Leone over its failure to hand over Leijdekkers.
