Dutch authorities have offered a record reward of €2 million (£1.7m/$2.24m) for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most-wanted men, according to the BBC.
The 35-year-old, also known as Bolle Jos (Chubby Jos), was previously described by Dutch police as “one of the key players in international cocaine trafficking.”
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said the reward was increased ten-fold because it was “necessary given the threat that Leijdekkers poses to national security, our democratic rule of law, and the international legal order.” 
Dutch prosecutors said capturing Leijdekkers was their “highest priority” and that any information shared would be kept secret.
Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, lists him among its most-wanted fugitives.
In January 2025, Dutch police said he was believed to be living in Sierra Leone under the name Omar Sherrif.
Images apparently showing Leijdekkers with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio and other officials have previously emerged.
Dutch prosecutors have demanded his extradition, but Sierra Leone has refused to cooperate, prompting the EU to cut some aid to the country.
West Africa is a major transit point for cocaine trafficking from Latin America.
In 2024, a court in Rotterdam sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years in prison after finding him guilty of smuggling more than seven metric tons of cocaine.
He has also been sentenced to 79 years in prison in Belgium, while several other police investigations in the Netherlands are ongoing.
Dutch authorities estimate that he has made tens of millions of euros from cocaine smuggling. They also accuse him of money laundering and involvement in the use of extreme violence.
