The Netherlands is trying to build a coalition of West African countries to pressure Sierra Leone into handing over fugitive drug baron Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said following a visit to Ghana, in an interview with De Telegraaf.
Van Weel told the newspaper that Sierra Leone’s neighbours, including Liberia and Ghana, are increasingly frustrated by the shelter the country is allegedly providing to Leijdekkers, whose criminal network operates across the region.
“We are not ruling out any option,” he said, hinting at measures he could not discuss publicly. He also revealed that the Netherlands wants to establish a permanent secretariat in West Africa to tackle drug-smuggling networks.
Sierra Leone’s Justice Minister, Alpha Sesay, attended the talks on his own initiative and has written to Van Weel proposing efforts toward a solution. According to the Dutch minister, this is a sign that the pressure is being felt, although he noted that he sees more willingness to talk than to act.
Leijdekkers, 34, is the Netherlands’ most wanted criminal. He has been sentenced in absentia to prison terms in the Netherlands and Belgium totalling around 80 years for large-scale cocaine trafficking and ordering a murder. He has also been ordered to repay €96 million to the Dutch state.
He is reported to be living under presidential protection in Sierra Leone and is alleged to have a child with the daughter of President Julius Maada Bio. His network has also been linked to a record cocaine seizure off the Canary Islands in May, one of the largest single drug hauls in history.
The Netherlands is seeking to build a coalition of West African countries to increase pressure on Sierra Leone over Leijdekkers’ presence in the country. Van Weel said neighbouring states, particularly Liberia and Ghana, are becoming increasingly concerned about the implications of allowing such a high-profile fugitive to remain in the region.
“We are not ruling out any option,” he reiterated, while stressing the need for stronger regional cooperation to combat transnational drug trafficking.