Europe's Most-Wanted Cocaine Kingpin Finds Shelter in Sierra Leone by Fathering a Child With the President's Daughter
Jos Leijdekkers, a 34-year-old Dutch cocaine trafficker known as Chubby Jos, has spent more than two years on the run in Sierra Leone as European authorities pursue him. Opposition figures claim he is being shielded by President Julius Maada Bio after allegedly fathering a child with the president’s daughter, Agnes Bio, in New York. Leijdekkers faces prison terms totaling around 74 years in Europe, and Dutch authorities have formally requested his extradition. The allegations cast a harsh light on how crime and politics intersect in West Africa as European investigators press their case.
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Allegations of Shielding: Ties to the Bio Family
Opposition leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray says Agnes Bio gave birth to Leijdekkers’ child in New York. He accuses the Bio government of protecting the fugitive and blocking justice. Video footage obtained by Follow the Money and AD shows Leijdekkers socialising with the Bio family, including at a New Year’s church service posted by First Lady Fatima Bio. President Bio has denied knowing Leijdekkers or that he sat beside his daughter at the event. AD and Follow the Money also reported Leijdekkers attended a March 2024 private birthday party for Sierra Leone’s immigration chief, where he presented a gift.
Criminal Record, Sentences, and the Extradition Battle
The Dutch trafficker carries a €200,000 reward for his capture. Officials say he remained in Sierra Leone during the child’s birth while President Bio visited New York for the UN General Assembly. Leijdekkers has been convicted multiple times for large-scale cocaine trafficking in the Netherlands and Belgium: eight years in Belgium this September, bringing his Belgian total to 50 years. He also faces charges including torture and murder; last year he received a 24-year sentence in the Netherlands for involvement in six major drug shipments. Dutch authorities have formally requested extradition; the appeal remains unresolved. Now living under the alias Omar Sheriff, he is believed to run a vast smuggling network from a fortified base in Freetown.
Where He Is Now: A €1 Billion Fortified Base and the Africa Route
Leijdekkers is said to operate from a fortified compound in Freetown valued at about €1 billion. From this base, he is alleged to oversee a vast network that continues to funnel cocaine into Europe. Experts say the Africa route now accounts for about one-third of the continent’s cocaine supply, with projections it could reach half within five years. Reports note the birth occurred while Leijdekkers was present; President Bio reportedly visited his daughter and grandchild in New York during the UN General Assembly. The Sierra Leone communications ministry issued a statement saying Bio had no knowledge of the identities or issues detailed in the reports.
Why This Matters: Crime, Politics, and the Continent’s Future
Leijdekkers’ case illustrates how transnational crime can test political systems and complicate extradition and justice. It highlights tensions between West Africa’s sovereignty and international pressure from Europe. With the GI-TOC warning that the Africa cocaine route could dominate supply, the stakes for policy and policing are rising. For now, Dutch and European authorities continue to press for extradition, while Sierra Leone weighs how to respond to these high-profile allegations.
