Gambiaj.com – (FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE) – The Dutch public prosecutor’s office has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers to €2 million, making the wanted Dutch national one of the most heavily pursued criminals in the country.
In June this year, the European Union announced readiness to wield its development aid budget as a diplomatic weapon against Sierra Leone.
EU threatened to cut funding unless Freetown extradites Jos Leijdekkers described as one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives, a convicted cocaine kingpin who investigators say is romantically involved with a daughter of President Julius Maada Bio.
Leijdekkers, also known as “Jos the Fatty”, is among the Netherlands’ most wanted criminals and is also listed among Europol’s most wanted fugitives.
Dutch prosecutors said on Monday that “the arrest of Leijdekkers is the absolute priority of the public prosecution service and the police.”
The reward, which has been increased tenfold, is available to anyone who provides information that directly contributes to his arrest. Authorities said this could include information about his movements and possible opportunities to apprehend him, particularly when he is outside Sierra Leone.
Leijdekkers is believed to have been living in Sierra Leone since the summer of 2024. He has attracted international attention after reports that he is in a relationship with the daughter of Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.
A Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia in 2024 to 24 years in prison for commissioning a murder and organizing cocaine shipments as part of an international drug-trafficking operation.
He was also convicted in Belgium in several drug-trafficking cases, receiving combined prison sentences totalling 79 years.
Dutch authorities have continued efforts to locate and arrest him, with the increased reward reflecting the importance they attach to securing information that could lead to his capture.
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