Dutch authorities have raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Jos Leijdekkers (also known as Bolle Jos or Chubby Jos, and allegedly operating in Sierra Leone under the name Omar Sheriff or Umar/Umarr Sheriff) from €200,000 to a record €2 million.
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service announced the tenfold increase on Monday, 2 November 2026. Officials described it as the highest bounty ever offered by Dutch authorities and said the arrest of the 35-year-old is a top priority for prosecutors and police.
The reward is available to anyone providing a crucial tip that leads to his capture and can be paid within days of an arrest. Information can be shared confidentially with a special Dutch police team; authorities emphasise that tipsters’ identities and details will be kept strictly secret and will not be shared with other forces or Sierra Leonean authorities.
Leijdekkers, a Dutch national, is regarded as one of Europe’s most wanted criminals and a key figure in international cocaine trafficking. In June 2024 a Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison for involvement in six drug shipments totalling nearly 7,000 kg of cocaine, an armed robbery in Finland, and commissioning a murder. Belgian courts have imposed additional lengthy sentences (reports cite a combined total around 79 years or more across cases).
Dutch authorities estimate he earned tens of millions of euros from cocaine smuggling and have also linked him to money laundering and extreme violence. He remains the subject of further investigations.
Dutch investigators say they have known since mid-2024 that he has been living in Sierra Leone. They claim he has been in the country for years, using the Omar Sheriff alias, and have sought his extradition.
Sierra Leonean authorities have repeatedly denied or declined to confirm that the wanted man is in the country or that they are sheltering him. Police have referred to investigations involving a person identified in local records as Umar/Umarr Sheriff, conducted searches, and stated that they are cooperating with international partners within the bounds of national law. There is no bilateral extradition treaty between Sierra Leone and the Netherlands, which has complicated formal proceedings.
Officials in Freetown have described some external pressure as heavy-handed or linked to procedural issues rather than any deliberate refusal.
The case has strained relations. Dutch officials have stated that the European Union withheld around €18 million in budget support to Sierra Leone, linking the decision to the lack of progress on extradition. Sierra Leonean government statements have attributed any delays in EU disbursements to procedural and financing-agreement matters rather than the individual case.
International reporting has also alleged personal connections between the fugitive and high-level figures in Sierra Leone, including a reported relationship with a daughter of President Julius Maada Bio; these claims have circulated widely but have not been officially confirmed by Freetown.
Dutch authorities hope the sharply increased reward will encourage people with knowledge of Leijdekkers’ movements, particularly any travel outside Sierra Leone that might create an opportunity for arrest to come forward.
