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Fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, known as ‘Bolle Jos,’ has been sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison by a Belgian court for orchestrating a failed 10-ton cocaine heist, even as he is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone.
This latest conviction adds to his growing list of criminal charges, as authorities in both Belgium and the Netherlands intensify their pursuit of one of Europe’s most wanted men.
The Belgian court found Leijdekkers, 33, guilty of directing an armed attempt to retrieve a massive cocaine shipment seized by Antwerp customs in October 2023. This conviction comes amidst mounting evidence linking Leijdekkers to large-scale drug trafficking and violent crimes across Europe.
This latest sentence follows a 24-year prison term handed down by a Rotterdam court in June 2024 for smuggling over seven tonnes of cocaine and ordering an assassination. Leijdekkers is also implicated in a 2020 “torture container” case in the Netherlands, highlighting his ruthless criminal activities.
Meanwhile, the Dutch government has formally requested Leijdekkers’ extradition from Sierra Leone, where he is believed to have been residing for approximately six months. Reports alleging his connections to President Julius Maada Bio’s family have further complicated the situation.
Despite Sierra Leone’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) William Fayia Sellu claiming that the individual in question has been identified as “Umar Sheriff,” and not Jos Leijdekkers, Dutch authorities remain adamant that they are seeking the same man.
The IGP also admitted that no formal entry record exists for “Umar Sheriff” and that police raids to apprehend him have been unsuccessful.
The alleged presence of Leijdekkers in Sierra Leone has also led to the arrest of Dutch journalist Sophie van Leeuwen, who was investigating his whereabouts.
Van Leeuwen, along with Sierra Leonean journalist Joseph Turay, was detained by police last week while en route to a location where Leijdekkers was reportedly staying.
