Dutch authorities have raised their reward for information leading to the arrest of convicted cocaine trafficker Jos Leijdekkers to €2 million, as investigations into his alleged links to drug trafficking activities in Ghana continue.
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service announced the increase on November 2, describing the fugitive’s arrest as a major priority for the country’s law enforcement agencies. The new reward is ten times the previous €200,000 offer and is the largest bounty issued by Dutch authorities.
The development has drawn attention in Ghana, where the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) is investigating suspects believed to have facilitated Leijdekkers’ activities in the country.
The investigation follows the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs in Dunkirk, in a shipment reportedly originating from Ghana. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the wider investigation and are assisting NACOC with inquiries into their alleged roles.
Leijdekkers, 35, is known as “Bolle Jos” or “Chubby Jos” in the Netherlands. Dutch police say he also uses the name Omar Sheriff in Sierra Leone, where investigators believe he has been living.
A Rotterdam court sentenced him in June 2024 to 24 years in prison for his involvement in six drug shipments involving nearly seven tonnes of cocaine, an armed robbery in Finland and commissioning a murder. He has also received a 79-year prison sentence in Belgium.
Dutch authorities estimate that he made tens of millions of euros from drug trafficking and suspect him of money laundering and involvement in serious violence.
The €2 million reward will go to anyone whose information provides a decisive lead resulting in his arrest. Dutch authorities say information can be submitted confidentially through designated police channels.
