Dutch Authorities Raise Record Reward Offered for Capture of Fugitive Cocaine Kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, Dubbed a Major Target
Reward targets alleged trafficker
The Dutch authorities set the reward at 2 million euros, or $2.2 million. It is for information that helps bring about Leijdekkers’ arrest. Authorities describe him as one of Europe’s most-wanted drug traffickers and a major figure in the international cocaine trade. They said information provided to prosecutors would remain secret.
Images raise questions in Sierra Leone
Leijdekkers is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone. Images that appear to show him with officials, including people close to President Julius Maada Bio, have prompted speculation about his ties to the country’s political class. That speculation also involves the president’s daughter, though the article gives no further details about the alleged connections.
Europol links him to missing woman
Europol says Leijdekkers is believed to have been involved in the disappearance and death of Naima Jillal. She went missing in 2019 after entering a car in Amsterdam.
The agency said intercepted messages allegedly pointed to his role in her disappearance. Europol also said photographs found on a phone seized during the Marengo investigation appeared to show Jillal after torture and suggested she was probably dead.
Key points
- Dutch authorities are offering 2 million euros ($2.2 million) for information leading to Leijdekkers’ arrest.
- Leijdekkers is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone and is considered a key figure in the cocaine trade.
- Images apparently showing him with officials have fueled speculation about political connections.
- Europol connects him to Naima Jillal’s 2019 disappearance and says photos suggest she was tortured and probably died.