Netherlands raises reward to 2 million euros for cocaine fugitive

Dutch prosecutors have raised the financial incentive for information leading to the arrest of a fugitive cocaine trafficker to a record 2 million euros, equivalent to approximately 2.2 million dollars. This new figure is ten times the previous reward offered for the capture of Jos Leijdekkers, also known by the nickname "Chubby Jos" or "Bolle Jos." The authorities stated that apprehending the 35-year-old man is the top priority for both the Public Prosecution Service and the police.

Leijdekkers is currently believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone. In January 2025, Dutch officials expressed absolute certainty regarding his location in that West African nation. Wim de Bruin, a Dutch prosecutor, previously noted that securing the fugitive's return to the Netherlands remained a central operational goal. The new reward scheme emphasizes that any details provided to prosecutors will be held in strict confidence.

The fugitive faces severe legal penalties in Europe. A court in Rotterdam sentenced him in absentia in 2024 to 24 years in prison. That ruling covered the trafficking of nearly 7,000 kilograms of cocaine, an armed robbery, and the ordering of a liquidation. In Belgium, a separate court has already imposed a 79-year prison sentence on him. These convictions place him among the most heavily penalized drug figures in the region.

Speculation about Leijdekkers' status in Sierra Leone has grown following social media posts by the country's first lady, Fatima Bio. She shared images and a video from a religious service attended by President Julius Maada Bio. The visuals appeared to show Leijdekkers in the company of high-ranking officials, including the president's daughter. These sightings have fueled theories that the drug trafficker has established close ties with the Sierra Leonean political class.

Europol has also linked Leijdekkers to the 2019 disappearance of Naima Jillal, a woman who went missing after entering a car in Amsterdam. The agency reported that intercepted messages indicated he played a key role in her vanishing. Photos discovered on a phone seized during the Marengo investigation depicted a woman believed to be Jillal. According to Europol, the images suggested she was tortured and is likely no longer alive.

The Dutch government's decision to multiply the reward reflects the difficulty in locating the fugitive despite his confirmed presence in Sierra Leone. The new financial structure is designed to encourage local contacts and witnesses to come forward with concrete leads. Prosecutors maintain that the case remains active and that the search for Leijdekkers continues with intensified focus.