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The extradition of alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan from the United Arab Emirates to Ireland has renewed scrutiny over the continued presence of another internationally wanted criminal who is allegedly staying in Sierra Leone; Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers.
Kinahan was extradited from Dubai to Ireland on August 9, 2026, after legal proceedings in the UAE, and was subsequently brought before Ireland’s Special Criminal Court, where he was charged with directing the activities of an organised crime group. He denies being a crime boss and remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case presents a striking comparison with Leijdekkers, known as “Bolle Jos”.
Leijdekkers is a convicted Dutch drug trafficker who was sentenced to 24 years and a seven-year sentence in the Netherlands and Belgium. Dutch authorities have sought his extradition and have repeatedly indicated that there are strong grounds to believe he is in Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile Sierra Leonean authorities have acknowledged the extradition request and said the matter was being handled through the country’s legal processes.
But more than a year after the Netherlands formally requested his extradition, Leijdekkers has not been returned to Europe. Sierra Leone has repeatedly denied Leijdekkers’ presence in the country.
The Netherlands has increasingly escalated pressure on Freetown with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel saying in June that his government could seek the European Union support to pressure Sierra Leone in restricting development assistance. The EU subsequently indicated that it would support pressure on Sierra Leone over the case.
The comparison with Kinahan is therefore less about the two men’s cases being legally identical and more about international cooperation and political will.
In Kinahan’s case, authorities in the UAE ultimately arrested and extradited him following legal proceedings, allowing Irish authorities to bring him before a court.
In Leijdekkers’ case, the Netherlands has obtained convictions against him and submitted an extradition request, while Sierra Leone denies his presence in the country.
However, there has been a remarkable surge in cocaine leaving West Africa for Europe in recent years. In May, Spanish authorities seized more than 30 tonnes of cocaine aboard the Arconian off the Canary Islands. Reuters report that the ship departed from Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The central question for Freetown is now increasingly difficult to avoid:
If international cooperation can move an internationally wanted crime suspect from Dubai to Dublin, what is preventing the same process from bringing Jos Leijdekkers from his alleged base in Sierra Leone to face justice in the Netherlands?
