Dutch Crime Boss Jos Leijdekkers Sentenced to 24 Years, Hiding in Sierra Leone
Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted criminals and allegedly the son-in-law of Sierra Leone’s president, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his involvement in drug trafficking, armed robbery, and ordering a murder. A Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia last June after he orchestrated six separate drug shipments, totaling 7,000kg of cocaine, and committed other violent crimes. Leijdekkers is now hiding out in Sierra Leone, as confirmed by Dutch prosecutors.
The authorities’ suspicions grew after Dutch media released a video showing Leijdekkers attending a New Year’s Day church service, seated near Sierra Leone’s presidential family. The video, verified by Reuters, shows him sitting next to a woman believed to be Agnes Bio, the daughter of Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio. While the relationship between Leijdekkers and Agnes has not been confirmed, reports suggest that he may be married to her. Sierra Leone’s government has since announced an investigation into the matter, indicating that the country’s police would cooperate with Dutch authorities and Interpol to locate him.
Leijdekkers is a notorious figure in the international cocaine trade and is accused of laundering tens of millions of euros and hundreds of kilos of gold. Dutch police also suspect his involvement in the disappearance and presumed murder of Naima Jilal, a woman who went missing in Amsterdam in 2019.
In addition to his 24-year sentence in the Netherlands, Leijdekkers was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Belgian court in September for similar drug trafficking offenses.
Sierra Leone has long been suspected as a critical transit point for Latin American cocaine headed to Europe, and Leijdekkers is believed to have used the country to facilitate his operations. Dutch authorities have prioritized his capture and are offering a reward of €200,000 (around £168,430) for information leading to his arrest.
In a related development, Belgian authorities arrested former national footballer Radja Nainggolan on Monday in connection with a cocaine trafficking investigation. The cocaine was allegedly trafficked through the Port of Antwerp, with 30 house searches carried out during the investigation. Nainggolan’s name was reported by local media, though his lawyer declined to provide specifics on the accusations when contacted. Nainggolan currently plays for Belgian club Lokeren-Temse.