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Dutch authorities raise reward to €2m for fugitive Jos Leijdekkers
Dutch authorities have increased their reward ten-fold to €2m for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a fugitive accused of playing a major role in international cocaine trafficking. The justice minister said the increase reflects the threat he poses to national security and the rule of law, while prosecutors say his capture is a top priority and information will be kept confidential.
Leijdekkers, 35, is believed by Dutch police to be living in Sierra Leone under the name Omar Sherrif; the country has refused a Dutch extradition request. In 2024, a Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years for smuggling more than seven tonnes of cocaine, and he has also received a 79-year sentence in Belgium. Authorities estimate he made tens of millions of euros and accuse him of money laundering and involvement in extreme violence.
In short
- Dutch police offer a record €2m reward to help arrest Jos Leijdekkers.
- He is believed to be in Sierra Leone, which has refused extradition.
- He has been sentenced to 24 years in the Netherlands and 79 in Belgium.
Explained simply
Cocaine trafficking involves moving the drug across borders for sale, often through networks that use violence and conceal profits. Dutch prosecutors accuse Jos Leijdekkers of helping to organise this trade and laundering its proceeds; the allegations concern his role in a wider international criminal network.
A Rotterdam court sentenced him in 2024 to 24 years in prison for smuggling more than seven tonnes of cocaine, and he has also been sentenced in Belgium. He was tried in the Netherlands in his absence because he had not been arrested. Dutch police believe he is in Sierra Leone under another name, but the country has refused a Dutch request to extradite him.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Dutch police offer record €2m reward in hunt for drug lord”.