Dutch prosecutors just put a €2 million price tag on the head of a convicted cocaine trafficker they can’t find.
Quick Take
- The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service raised the reward for Jos Leijdekkers’ arrest tenfold, from €200,000 to €2 million.
- Leijdekkers, nicknamed “Chubby Jos” or “Bolle Jos,” was sentenced in absentia to 24 years for nearly 7,000 kilograms of cocaine trafficking, an armed robbery, and ordering a killing.
- Authorities say they have known since mid-2024 that he is living in Sierra Leone, but still lack custody of him.
- The reward only pays out for a tip that directly leads to his arrest, not general information about him.
A Record Payout For A Fugitive Who Keeps Slipping Away
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service announced on November 2, 2026, that it was offering €2 million for the tip that finally puts Jos Leijdekkers in handcuffs. The Ministry of Justice approved the jump from the previous €200,000 offer, a tenfold increase that signals how badly Dutch officials want this case closed. It is one of the largest rewards the country has ever put on a single fugitive.
The money is not just for chatter or rumors. Prosecutors say the reward goes to whoever hands over the “crucial tip” that actually results in his arrest. That includes details about planned travel or specific chances for police to grab him. In other words, authorities are not paying for gossip. They want an address, a flight, a moment they can act on.
Who Is Jos Leijdekkers And Why Dutch Police Want Him So Badly
A Rotterdam court convicted Leijdekkers on June 25, 2024, sentencing him to 24 years behind bars. The case tied him to six cocaine shipments totaling nearly 7,000 kilograms, an armed robbery in Finland, and an order to have someone killed. He did not show up for his own trial, and no lawyer appeared on his behalf, so the court proceeded without him.
That conviction alone would make him a priority target for any police force. But Leijdekkers never faced a judge in person, and he has stayed out of Dutch custody for years. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) describes him as one of Europe’s most-wanted men, a label that fits both his criminal record and his skill at staying hidden.
The Trail Leads To Sierra Leone, But An Arrest Is Not That Simple
Dutch investigators say they have known since mid-2024 that Leijdekkers is living in Sierra Leone. That knowledge, though, has not translated into an arrest. Knowing a country is not the same as knowing a street address, and foreign soil means Dutch police cannot simply walk in and take him. Any arrest will likely require cooperation from Sierra Leonean authorities and formal diplomatic channels.
That international gap is exactly why the original €200,000 reward failed to produce results. Back in June 2024, prosecutors admitted that placing him on the National Investigation List and offering the smaller reward “had not provided clarity about his whereabouts”. Raising the number to €2 million is a direct response to that failure, a bet that a bigger prize will loosen tongues where a smaller one could not.
A Fugitive Case That Mirrors A Bigger European Problem
Leijdekkers is not an isolated case. Cocaine trafficking into Europe increasingly runs through flexible international networks that exploit shipping routes, major ports, and encrypted communication to dodge law enforcement. Europol has described the market as dynamic and adaptive, with criminal groups constantly shifting routes and methods to slip past inspections and scanners. Cases like this one show why chasing down a single high-value target can take years, even after a conviction is already on the books.
€2 MILLION REWARD FOR “BOLLE JOS” — EUROPE’S MOST WANTED COCAINE KINGPIN
Dutch authorities have dramatically increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, the fugitive known as “Bolle Jos” — believed to be living in Sierra Leone under the name… pic.twitter.com/3HGcHPv67s
— Not Guilty TV (@Notguiltytv) November 2, 2026
It is worth remembering that an arrest overseas depends on more than money. It depends on local police, courts, and governments choosing to act on Dutch requests. Until that cooperation happens, even a record-breaking reward is only as good as the information it buys and the willingness of another country to follow through. For now, Leijdekkers remains free, and the clock on that €2 million offer keeps ticking.
Sources:
om.nl, vrt.be, prosecutionservice.nl, bbc.com
