Sierra Leone’s security sector has confirmed that authorities are actively searching for Jos Leijdekkers, the Dutch national widely known as “Bolle Jos,” and Umar Sheriff as part of efforts to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.
Speaking on AYV’s State of the Nation programme, Abdul Karim Will, Director of Strategic Communications at the Office of National Security (ONS), stated that authorities are officially looking for both individuals.
The ONS indicated that joint security operations have been conducted with counterparts in Liberia, and appealed to the public to provide credible information that could assist in locating them. The statement confirms an active search but does not specify their current whereabouts.
Jos Leijdekkers is a Dutch national who has been convicted in absentia in the Netherlands to 24 years in prison for involvement in large-scale cocaine trafficking and related offences, including ordering violence. He has also received substantial sentences in Belgium. He ranks among Europe’s most wanted fugitives, with Europol listing him and a reward of €200,000 offered for information leading to his arrest.
His name became prominent in Sierra Leone after widely circulated footage from a New Year’s church service on 1 January 2025 in Tihun, the hometown of President Julius Maada Bio, showed a man resembling him seated near members of the First Family. Police Inspector-General William Fayia Sellu previously stated that open-source investigations identified the individual as Umar Sheriff (also referred to as Omar or Umarr Sheriff), described in some accounts as a Norwegian-Turkish businessman. International reporting has linked this name as an alias used by Leijdekkers while in Sierra Leone. There is no reliable public evidence confirming that Sierra Leone Immigration issued him the name; the accurate description is that he was reportedly operating under it as an alias.
Leijdekkers’ presence attracted further attention due to reports of a personal relationship with Agnes Bio, a daughter of President Bio. Some accounts alleged engagement and that the couple had a child together. He was reportedly seen at the Tihun church service alongside members of the First Family. Aspects of these claims have been disputed or denied by members of the First Family, and they should be treated with caution pending further verified information.
The Netherlands has formally requested Leijdekkers’ extradition. Sierra Leone has no formal extradition treaty with the Netherlands, and diplomatic efforts, including pressure from Dutch authorities and discussions involving regional partners, have continued. Authorities stress that the search forms part of broader efforts against transnational organised crime and drug trafficking affecting the region.
Members of the public with credible information about the whereabouts of Jos Leijdekkers or Umar Sheriff are urged to report it promptly to the relevant security authorities.
The ONS confirmation underscores an ongoing operation; it does not establish their precise current location.
