Dutch prosecutors offer €2m reward for arrest of fugitive linked to Ghana drug probe

Dutch prosecutors have announced a €2 million reward for information that leads to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted cocaine trafficker considered one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives, whose alleged activities have come under investigation in Ghana. In a statement issued on Monday, November 2, 2026, the prosecutors said the reward would be given to anyone whose information provides a decisive lead resulting in Leijdekkers’ arrest.

The bounty, worth approximately $2.2 million, is the largest ever offered by Dutch authorities. The announcement comes amid investigations by Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) into three individuals suspected of representing and facilitating the fugitive’s alleged drug-trafficking operations in Ghana. The suspects were arrested following the seizure of a significant cocaine consignment by French customs officials.

The shipment is believed to be connected to a wider international drug-trafficking network. NACOC has confirmed that the three individuals remain in its custody and are assisting with investigations into their alleged involvement. The Commission says the arrests form part of broader efforts to dismantle international drug-trafficking networks operating within Ghana or using the country as a transit route.

Investigators are expected to establish the nature of the suspects’ relationship with Leijdekkers, their activities in Ghana and their possible connections to the wider criminal network. The outcome of the investigation could shed light on whether Ghana served as a transit hub, operational base or coordination point for activities allegedly associated with the fugitive.

Who is Jos Leijdekkers? Leijdekkers, 35, is popularly known in the Netherlands as ‘Bolle Jos’, which translates as ‘Chubby Jos’. Dutch police say he is also known by the alias Omar Sherrif in Sierra Leone. He is regarded by Dutch prosecutors as a major figure in international cocaine trafficking and is suspected of accumulating tens of millions of euros through the illegal trade.

Last year, a Dutch court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison for his role in smuggling more than seven tonnes of cocaine. He is also facing several other ongoing criminal investigations in the Netherlands. In Belgium, a court handed him a separate 79-year prison sentence. Dutch authorities additionally suspect him of money laundering and involvement in serious acts of violence.