Dutch law enforcement officials have escalated efforts to apprehend one of Europe’s most high-profile alleged drug traffickers, announcing a historic €2 million reward – a tenfold increase from previous bounties – for actionable intelligence that leads directly to the arrest of 35-year-old Jos Leijdekkers, infamously known by the alias “Bolle Jos” (Chubby Jos).
Labeled by Dutch police as a non-negotiable key operative in the global transnational cocaine trade, Leijdekkers is currently listed on Europol’s official most-wanted fugitive roster. Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel justified the unprecedented reward amount, emphasizing that the move is a necessary response to the severe, multi-layered threat Leijdekkers poses to Dutch national security, the integrity of the country’s democratic rule of law, and cross-border international legal frameworks. Dutch prosecuting authorities have classified the manhunt for Leijdekkers as their absolute top operational priority, and confirmed that all submitted tip-offs will be handled with full anonymity to protect informants from retaliation.
Law enforcement records show that Leijdekkers was tried in absentia by a Rotterdam court in 2024, where he was convicted of smuggling over seven metric tons of cocaine and handed a 24-year prison sentence. A separate Belgian court has also issued a 79-year prison term against him on related drug trafficking charges. Dutch financial crime investigators estimate Leijdekkers has amassed tens of millions of euros in illicit profit from his transnational smuggling operations, and he faces additional formal accusations of large-scale money laundering and orchestrating acts of extreme violence to maintain control over his criminal network.
Investigators confirmed in January 2025 that intelligence places Leijdekkers residing in Sierra Leone, operating under the fake identity Omar Sherrif. Verified photographic evidence captured earlier that month shows him attending a public church service in the Sierra Leonean locality of Tihun, with additional leaked images appearing to depict him in close proximity to Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio and senior ranking national government officials. Dutch diplomatic and legal teams have submitted formal extradition requests for Leijdekkers to the Sierra Leonean government, but Freetown has repeatedly refused to cooperate with the proceedings. The impasse has prompted the European Union to roll back a portion of its designated development aid to the West African nation.
Regional anti-drug data confirms West Africa has evolved into a critical high-volume transit hub for cocaine shipments routed from Latin American production markets to European consumer destinations. Multiple parallel criminal investigations targeting remaining affiliates of Leijdekkers’ sprawling drug syndicate remain active and ongoing across the Netherlands.