A Belgian court has sentenced fugitive Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, known as Bolle Jos, to 14 years in prison.
The ruling was delivered on July 30, 2026, in the large-scale Costa trial. Leijdekkers received the highest penalty among more than 50 defendants.
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Prosecutors had sought a total of 451 years in prison for all suspects.
The case involved smuggling at least 25 tons of cocaine through the port of Antwerp, valued at approximately 3.5 billion euros.
Over 100 Years in Cumulative Sentences
The latest verdict brings Leijdekkers' cumulative prison sentences to 103 years across multiple trials in Belgium and the Netherlands.
His convictions stem from large-scale cocaine trafficking, violent offenses, money laundering, and plotting a murder.
Leijdekkers was tried in absentia as he remains at large. Intelligence sources report that he is hiding in Sierra Leone.
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His personal ties to the daughter of President Julius Maada Bio have complicated extradition efforts by Dutch authorities.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service currently offers a 200,000 euro reward for information leading to his arrest.
Dutch authorities nearly captured the fugitive in May 2026, though he managed to evade law enforcement, as reported by De Telegraaf.
Diplomatic efforts to secure his extradition remain ongoing across several international channels.
Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel discussed the extradition with his counterpart Alpha Sesay in Ghana.
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This followed an initiative in Brussels where the Dutch cabinet attempted to pause European Union aid to Sierra Leone to pressure the country into surrendering the fugitive.
