On Sunday night, French customs officers in the port of Dunkirk found many thousands of kilograms of cocaine on a cargo ship that left Ghana and was heading to Antwerp in Belgium.
They did not check the ship by chance. They had information and waited for its last stop before Antwerp. Dutch and French investigators say part of the drugs belonged to the organisation of fugitive Dutch drug boss Jos Leijdekkers, better known as Bolle Jos. The load was meant to go to a company address in Dordrecht in the Netherlands.
Bolle Jos is one of Europe’s most wanted men. A Dutch court has already sentenced him to 24 years in prison (even though he was not there) for moving nearly 7,000 kilograms of cocaine and other crimes. Dutch police and Europol both have him on their most-wanted lists. They are offering 200,000 euros to anyone who gives information that leads to his arrest.
Many reports say Bolle Jos has been living in Sierra Leone for several years. He has been seen in videos near President Julius Maada Bio and members of the president’s family. Some accounts claim he is close to the president’s daughter. Dutch authorities have asked Sierra Leone to hand him over, but so far that has not happened. The Netherlands has even talked about putting pressure on European aid to Sierra Leone over the issue.
This is not the first big cocaine seizure linked to his network. Earlier this year Spanish officers stopped a ship that had left Freetown with more than 30 tonnes of cocaine, one of the biggest single hauls ever recorded. Investigators pointed to the same group.
In the past two weeks French officers have also stopped several other large loads of cocaine on roads in France, some involving Dutch drivers and Dutch-plated trucks. One had 347 kilograms, another 231 kilograms, and another 165 kilograms. Separate raids found nearly a tonne more.
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