Dutch police offer record €2m reward in hunt for drug lord

What the report says

Dutch authorities have raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers to €2m, which they described as a record amount. Leijdekkers, 35, is one of Europe’s most-wanted fugitives and has been identified by Dutch police as a major figure in international cocaine trafficking. He is also known by the nickname Bolle Jos.

According to the BBC, Dutch prosecutors say finding him is their top priority. Justice minister David van Weel said the higher reward was needed because of the threat Leijdekkers is said to pose to national security, the rule of law and the international legal order. Authorities say any tip-offs will be kept confidential.

Leijdekkers has been convicted in absentia in the Netherlands and Belgium on drug-trafficking charges. A court in Rotterdam sentenced him in 2024 to 24 years in prison for smuggling more than seven tonnes of cocaine, and Dutch officials say he has also been sentenced to 79 years in Belgium. He is listed by Europol among its most-wanted fugitives.

Dutch police believe Leijdekkers is in Sierra Leone and using another identity. The case has also drawn diplomatic attention because Dutch prosecutors have sought extradition, while Sierra Leone has not cooperated. More broadly, the case reflects the role of West Africa in cocaine routes moving from Latin America into Europe.