The public prosecution office has confirmed that the Netherlands’ most wanted drugs criminal Jos Leijdekkers, aka Bolle Jos (chunky Jos), is hiding out in Sierra Leone following reports by investigative platform Follow the Money and the AD.

Leijdekkers (33), who is both on the national and the international Europol most wanted list, was sentenced to 24 years in jail in 2024 for organising six drugs transports comprising some 7,000 kilos of cocaine and for commissioning a murder.

He is also thought to be involved in the disappearance and murder of drugs crime linchpin Naima Jilal, photos of whose dead and tortured body were found on a phone impounded during the Marengo investigation.

In 2023, police upped the reward for tips leading to his arrest his  to €200,000.

In a statement on Facebook, Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio denied any knowledge of Leijdekker or his whereabouts but in a statement on Sunday the country’s ministry of information said it would collaborate with the Dutch authorities, police and Interpol to arrest him.

It has been rumoured that the president’s daughter is in a relationship with Leijdekkers which appears to be confirmed by photos and video footage showing the pair at a New Years Eve church service in the president’s home village.

The public prosecution office confirmed the presence of Leijdekkers in Sierra Leone and said it had known for six months.

According to the statement made by Sierra Leone’s information ministry, there has been no contact as yet with Dutch police. The prosecution office would not comment further but said it is working on Leijdekker’s extradition.