A DUTCH cocaine kingpin known as “Chubby Jos” has finally been tracked down after pictures gave away his location.
But a jaw-dropping twist means the authorities can’t touch one of Europe’s most-wanted criminals — at least for now.
Jos Leijdekkers, 33, has been hiding out in Sierra Leone for the past six months, Dutch authorities revealed.
The mobster was located after images and videos surfaced this month showing him at a New Year’s Day church in the president’s hometown of Tihun.
The damning footage, reportedly posted by Sierra Leone’s first lady, shows Leijdekkers seated just two rows behind president Julius Maada Bio, next to a woman believed to be the president’s daughter.
Leijdekkers, dubbed a “key player in international cocaine trafficking”, was convicted in absentia last year for smuggling over seven tonnes of cocaine and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Despite a $210,000 bounty for his capture – the highest ever offered for a Dutch fugitive – Leijdekkers remains untouchable as Sierra Leone has no extradition treaty with the Netherlands.
The drug lord may have also gotten Sierra Leonean citizenship, complicating efforts to bring him to justice, German outlet Bild reports.
Leijdekkers’ possible link to Sierra Leone’s first family also seemed to have raised eyebrows.
While Dutch prosecutors are keeping tight-lipped, sources claim Leijdekkers is married to Agnes Bio, the president’s daughter — a connection that could offer him high-level protection, reports Bild.
Dutch prosecutor Wim de Bruin said the fugitive’s return to the Netherlands was of “the highest priority”.
“We are doing everything we can in that regard but we cannot comment any further because of the ongoing investigation,” he told the BBC.
Sierra Leonean authorities, however, remain silent on the matter, with no official comment from government spokespersons.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies have flagged the West African nation as a crucial hub in the global cocaine trade, with its ports serving as transit points for South American shipments heading to Europe.
This isn’t the first time Sierra Leone has been in the spotlight for alleged drug-related scandals.
Just weeks ago, its ambassador to Guinea was recalled after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were discovered in an embassy vehicle.
Leijdekkers, who rose to infamy as a boss of the brutal Mocro Mafia, is accused of laundering millions of euros and gold earned from his cocaine empire.
Dutch police say his illicit dealings likely extend beyond the seven tonnes of confiscated drugs that secured his conviction.
Leijdekkers could also be linked to the disappearance of Europe’s so-called “Godmother of Cocaine”, who vanished without a trace in 2019.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Naima Jillal rose up the ranks as a powerful drug boss at the age of 47, importing cocaine from South American cartels and earning herself the nickname “Auntie”.
Naima Jillal is believed to have had direct ties to Leijdekkers.
Investigators suspect that Leijdekkers played a critical role in Jillal’s disappearance and probable murder.
According to intercepted encrypted communications, Leijdekkers was involved in organising her abduction and the subsequent violent acts committed against her.
