Jos Leijdekkers: Search for Dutch drug smugglers ‘is in Sierra Leone’

A spokesperson for the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) said Leijdekkers had been living in Sierra Leone for about six months.

They said he was known by the nickname Bolle Jos and until recently he was believed to be living in Turkey.

Sierra Leonean authorities did not comment on the claim.

Reuters news agency reported that Leijdekkers was spotted in Sierra Leone in January when the President of Sierra Leone’s wife posted a video on social media of a church service she attended with her husband.

According to Reuters, Leijdekkers can be seen on video. The BBC has not been able to verify the footage.

Dutch police described Leijdekkers as “one of the key players in the international cocaine trade”.

A $210,000 (£168,000) reward was offered for a tip-off leading to his arrest. This is reported to be the highest amount ever offered for a Dutch fugitive.

Leijdekkers is listed as one of the most wanted fugitives by Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency.

West Africa is a major transit point for cocaine trafficking from Latin America.

On January 17, Sierra Leone recalled its ambassador from neighboring Guinea after seven suitcases containing cocaine were allegedly found in an embassy vehicle.

Guinean authorities seized a vehicle belonging to the Sierra Leone embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing a “substance suspected of cocaine”, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba said.

“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr. Alimamy Bangura, to Freetown to provide a detailed account of the incident,” he added.

The recalled envoy was not in the car and was not arrested, the minister said.

“It is not proven that the ambassador is involved in this trade,” he added.