Dutch authorities say one of Europe’s most notorious fugitives has been living in Sierra Leone for about six months.
Jos Lijdikers, 33, was sentenced in the absence of 24 years in prison on June 25 last year by a Rotterdam court for smuggling more than seven tons of cocaine.
Dutch prosecutor Wim de Bruijn said the fugitive’s return to the Netherlands was a “higher priority”.
“We are doing everything we can in this regard, but we cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation,” he said.
A spokesman for the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) said Leijdekkers had been living in Sierra Leone for about six months.
They said he was known by the nickname Paul Gus, and that until recently he was suspected of living in Türkiye.
Sierra Leone authorities have not commented on the claims.
Reuters reported that Leijdekkers was seen in Sierra Leone in January when the Sierra Leone chief wife posted a video on social media of a church service she was attending with her husband.
According to Reuters, Leijdekkers can be seen in the video. The BBC has been unable to verify the footage.
Dutch police described Leijdekkers as “one of the major players in international cocaine trafficking.”
A $210,000 (£168,000) reward is being offered for his arrest. This is said to be the highest sum ever offered to a Dutch fugitive.
Leijdekkers is listed as one of the most notorious fugitives by Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency.
West Africa is a major transit point for cocaine trafficking from Latin America.
On January 17, Sierra Leone recalled its ambassador from neighboring Guinea Seven bags containing suspected cocaine were found in the embassy vehicle.
Sierra Leone Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kaba said that Guinean authorities had seized a vehicle belonging to the Sierra Leone embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing “substances suspected to be cocaine.”
“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently summoned Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr. Alimami Bangura, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident,” he added.
The minister said that the summoned envoy was not in the car and was not under arrest.
He added, “It has not been proven that the ambassador was involved in this trafficking.”
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