Dutch prosecutors have announced a record €2 million reward for information leading to the arrest of convicted cocaine trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, whose alleged network has come under investigation in Ghana following the seizure of nearly four tonnes of cocaine in France.
The reward, announced on Monday, November 2, is the highest ever offered by Dutch authorities for information leading to the arrest of a fugitive.
In a statement, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said the amount had been increased tenfold from the previous €200,000, with the money to be paid to anyone who provides a decisive tip resulting in Leijdekkers’ arrest. <Cite refs={[“turn811743search1”,“turn811743news12”]}/>
The development comes as Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) investigates suspects accused of representing and facilitating the activities of the Dutch fugitive in the country.
The arrests followed the seizure by French customs of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana. The shipment, intercepted at the port of Dunkirk, was estimated to have a street value of €225 million.
NACOC has said the suspects were in its custody and assisting investigators to establish their alleged roles in the trafficking operation. The Commission has also indicated that it is working with domestic and international law enforcement agencies to disrupt the network. <Cite refs={[“turn811743search5”,“turn811743search6”]}/>
Leijdekkers, 35, is popularly known in the Netherlands as “Bolle Jos”, or “Chubby Jos”. Dutch authorities say he is also known as “Omar Sherrif” in Sierra Leone, where they believe he has been residing since 2024. <Cite refs={[“turn811743search1”,“turn811743search3”]}/>
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service describes him as a key figure in international cocaine trafficking, estimating that he has earned tens of millions of euros from the illicit trade.
On June 25, 2024, a court in Rotterdam sentenced him to 24 years in prison for six cocaine shipments involving nearly seven tonnes of the drug, an armed robbery in Finland and ordering a murder.
He has also been sentenced to 79 years in prison in Belgium, while Dutch authorities are investigating other suspected offences, including money laundering and involvement in extreme violence. <Cite refs={[“turn811743search1”,“turn811743news12”]}/>
The Dutch authorities say the €2 million reward is available for information that directly leads to his arrest. They have assured potential informants that their identities and information will be treated as strictly confidential.
