Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission has arrested three suspects for allegedly representing and facilitating the activities of Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, popularly known as “Bolle Jos”, in Ghana.
The arrests, announced on 14 September 2026, follow the seizure by French customs of nearly 4,000kg of cocaine at the port of Dunkirk on 10 September. The shipment, valued at about €225 million / $260 million, was reportedly transported from Ghana towards Antwerp, Belgium, and linked to Leijdekkers’ wider network.
In a statement signed by Acting Director of Public Affairs, PNCO Francis Opoku Amoah, NACOC said the three suspects are in custody and “assisting investigators examine their alleged roles in the trafficking”.
“The arrests reaffirm NACOC’s resolve that Ghana will not be a safe haven, transit point or operational base for international drug-trafficking organisations,” the Commission stated.
NACOC added that it will continue working with domestic and international law-enforcement partners to “disrupt the people, finances and infrastructure sustaining the illicit drug trade”. The identities of the suspects have not been released.
Jos Leijdekkers, 33, is one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives. A Rotterdam court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison for trafficking nearly seven tonnes of cocaine. He also features on Europol’s EU Most Wanted list.
Dutch authorities confirmed in January 2025 that Leijdekkers had been residing in Sierra Leone for at least six months, after images emerged of a man resembling him attending a New Year’s church service in Tihun near President Julius Maada Bio. Reports have linked him to logistics and protection in the country, with some outlets alleging ties to the President’s daughter, Agnes Bio. Sierra Leonean authorities announced an investigation into his possible presence.
International agencies now view West Africa as a key transit hub for cocaine moving from Latin America to Europe. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime estimates the West African route accounts for a third of Europe’s cocaine supply.
In May, Spanish authorities also seized about 30 metric tonnes of cocaine from a Comorian cargo ship that had left Freetown bound for Libya, with European experts suspecting Leijdekkers’ involvement. Sierra Leone now ranks second, behind Ecuador, as the country of origin for cocaine seized in Antwerp.
For Sierra Leone, the Ghana arrests highlight how closely linked West African countries are in the drug trade. Security analysts warn that transit networks in one country can quickly shift operations across borders if enforcement tightens.
The Netherlands has formally submitted an extradition request to Freetown, but there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. Opposition figures in Sierra Leone have also criticised what they call attempts to use international pressure over the case.
NACOC said investigations into the three suspects are ongoing, and that the rights and legal protections of all persons under investigation will be safeguarded.
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