Dutch Offer €2 Million Bounty for Cocaine Kingpin
Prosecutors seek Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted Dutch cocaine trafficker living in Sierra Leone, whose extradition the West African nation has refused.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Drug Crime
Dutch prosecutors have offered a €2 million ($2.2 million) reward for the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted cocaine kingpin. The bounty is the highest ever offered by Dutch authorities, and Sierra Leone has refused to cooperate with extradition requests.
Why it matters
Leijdekkers is considered a key figure in international cocaine trafficking, and the dispute has led the European Union to cut some aid to Sierra Leone. The case highlights the difficulties prosecutors face when convicted traffickers relocate to countries without extradition cooperation.
Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Dutch court last year and to 79 years by a Belgian court. Prosecutors have demanded his extradition from Sierra Leone, which has refused to cooperate.
The players
Jos Leijdekkers
A Dutch national and convicted cocaine kingpin known as Bolle Jos or Chubby Jos, who lives in Sierra Leone under the name Omar Sherrif.
Dutch prosecutors
The Dutch public prosecution authorities who announced the bounty and have demanded Leijdekkers' extradition from Sierra Leone.
European Union
The political and economic union of European states that cut some aid to Sierra Leone over its refusal to cooperate on extradition.
The details
Leijdekkers, a Dutch national known in the Netherlands as Bolle Jos or Chubby Jos, has lived in Sierra Leone for several years, where he goes by the name Omar Sherrif. He was convicted for smuggling more than 7 metric tons of cocaine, and Dutch authorities also suspect him of money laundering and involvement in extreme violence. The reward is available to any person whose tip leads to his arrest.
Timeline
Last year: a Dutch court sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years in prison.
November 2, 2026: Dutch prosecutors announced the €2 million bounty.
Legal Context
The case reflects a documented pattern in which cocaine traffickers convicted in Europe have relocated to West African transit countries. Sierra Leone's refusal to extradite places it at odds with European prosecutors seeking to enforce sentences handed down abroad.
Travelers and residents in Sierra Leone may face heightened scrutiny of foreign nationals with trafficking records. Those with tips on Leijdekkers' whereabouts can pursue the €2 million reward through Dutch authorities.
The takeaway
International trafficking cases often stall where extradition treaties are absent, which is why cooperation agreements matter to prosecutors. Readers following crime news should watch whether diplomatic pressure, including aid decisions, changes a country's extradition stance.
Further reading
Explore more on Drug Crime to see how international trafficking cases like this one are prosecuted.
