The Netherlands is increasing diplomatic pressure on Sierra Leone to apprehend fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, this time through the West African country’s neighbours, De Telegraaf reports. The Dutch drug trafficker, popularly known as Bolle Jos, is believed to be living in Sierra Leone, but efforts to secure his extradition have so far proven unsuccessful.
During a visit to Ghana, Dutch Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel began building a coalition of West African countries to pressure Sierra Leone.
“We want to make countries in the region aware of the danger this man poses,” the minister told the newspaper.
Van Weel previously stated that Leijdekkers’ estimated income exceeds Sierra Leone’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“That would naturally corrupt such a country completely,” he said during an appearance on the programme Binnenhof in June.
According to Van Weel, countries such as Liberia and Ghana are aware of the risks and are frustrated by what they see as Sierra Leone’s reluctance to remove Bolle Jos.
The minister said Dutch diplomatic efforts appear to be yielding some results, noting that Sierra Leone’s Justice Minister has reached out for a meeting. He added that he senses “a willingness to talk” from Sierra Leone, though not yet “a willingness to take concrete steps.”
Jos Leijdekkers is currently the Netherlands’ most wanted criminal. He surfaced in Sierra Leone last year and is reportedly in a romantic relationship with the daughter of the country’s president, a situation that has further complicated efforts to extradite him.
Following a failed covert operation aimed at arresting him in Sierra Leone, Dutch authorities have returned to diplomatic channels. In addition to seeking support from neighbouring West African countries, the Netherlands has reportedly urged the European Union to reconsider development funding for Sierra Leone.
The EU has allocated €325 million in development assistance to Sierra Leone for the 2021–2027 period, in addition to support received through regional and international EU programmes.
Leijdekkers has been sentenced to a combined 81 years in prison in the Netherlands and Belgium for drug trafficking and related offences, including coordinating assassinations and money laundering. He has also been linked to a recent record drug seizure near the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities intercepted a vessel carrying more than 30,000 kilograms of cocaine.