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A $19 million cocaine seizure at Liberia’s Roberts International Airport has drawn intense international scrutiny toward Sierra Leone.
Western diplomats and investigators suspect that a wanted European drug lord currently residing in Freetown is orchestrating the regional narcotics trade.
The drugs, concealed in 198 cargo boxes, were being prepared for export to Europe via a Brussels Airlines flight when intercepted on June 8, 2026. The shipment had arrived at the airport on June 5 and was flagged during screening when x-ray operators noticed weight discrepancies.
Six suspects have been arrested, though authorities have not yet released their identities, citing the ongoing investigation. The case has been elevated to the National Security Council and is now being investigated by Joint Security Forces .
The investigation has drawn attention to Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted Dutch drug lord and Europe’s most wanted fugitive, who is believed to be residing in Sierra Leone under the alias Omar Sheriff.
Leijdekkers has been sentenced in absentia to over 80 years in prison in the Netherlands and Belgium for cocaine trafficking, contract killings, and money laundering. European investigators have linked him to massive cocaine shipments, including a record maritime bust near the Canary Islands involving over 30,000 kilograms of cocaine.
Videos verified by Reuters showed Leijdekkers attending a church service in Sierra Leone on January 1, 2025, sitting two rows behind President Julius Maada Bio. The Sierra Leone government has stated that President Bio “has no knowledge about the identity and the issues detailed in the reports about the individual in question”.
Liberian authorities have expressed growing concern about drug trafficking across the Sierra Leone border. The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency has described Sierra Leone as “causing difficult problems for us,” with traffickers using the Bo Waterside crossing to bring drugs into Liberia.
An investigation by FrontPageAfrica found that Leijdekkers has been moving in and out of Liberia under the cloak of darkness, engaging with prominent figures over the past year. This has triggered attention from Dutch and Belgian authorities, who have sought meetings with Liberian security officials.
The Netherlands has formally requested Leijdekkers’ extradition from Sierra Leone, and the EU has reportedly threatened to cut millions in development aid if the country continues to harbor him.
