Dutch authorities announced an unprecedented €2m reward for information that leads to the capture of Jos Leijdekkers, a 35-year-old fugitive also known as Bolle Jos. The decision to increase the bounty tenfold was justified by Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel, who characterized the fugitive as posing significant threats to national security, democratic institutions, and international legal frameworks.
Leijdekkers is listed among Europe’s most-wanted individuals by Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency. According to Dutch prosecutors, apprehending him represents their top priority, and they pledged to maintain confidentiality regarding any information provided by the public. Law enforcement authorities estimate the suspect has accumulated tens of millions of euros through cocaine smuggling operations and has engaged in money laundering and extreme violence.
In January 2025, Dutch police indicated they believed Leijdekkers was residing in Sierra Leone under an assumed identity. Images have surfaced showing an individual purported to be Leijdekkers alongside Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio and other government officials. Dutch prosecutors have sought his extradition, but Sierra Leone has declined to cooperate, leading the EU to reduce certain development assistance to the nation.
Leijdekkers has faced significant legal consequences in multiple jurisdictions. A Rotterdam court convicted him in absentia in 2024, sentencing him to 24 years imprisonment following his conviction for smuggling more than seven metric tons of cocaine. Additionally, Belgian authorities have imposed a 79-year prison sentence against him. West Africa remains a critical transit corridor for cocaine flowing from Latin American producing regions toward European markets.
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