Belgian Court Sentences Fugitive Drug Trafficker Jos Leijdekkers in 11-Ton Cocaine Case

A court in Belgium has sentenced fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, widely known as “Bolle Jos,” to eight years in prison over a large-scale cocaine smuggling operation.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed an €80,000 fine and banned Leijdekkers from entering Belgian port zones for ten years.

The case is said to also be connected to an attempt to smuggle approximately 11.2 tons of cocaine through the Port of Antwerp in late 2023. Authorities intercepted the shipment at quay 1742 in Beveren after suspicions were raised during a violent dispute involving rival pick-up crews operating around the docks.

Investigators said the cocaine was concealed inside a container carrying palm kernel meal. The drugs were reportedly packed into thousands of bricks in an effort to evade detection.

A recent shipment was also alleged to have originated from Sierra Leone, according to investigators.

Authorities in Sierra Leone have however announced that preliminary findings from an official investigation show no evidence linking the vessel MV Akonion to a cocaine shipment originating from Freetown.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the Police Officers Mess in Kingtom, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Michael Laggah disclosed the initial results of the probe. As Head of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), CSP Laggah provided clarity on the vessel's stay at the Freetown port.

The authorities furthered that the vessel was reportedly intercepted by Spanish authorities on suspicion of drug trafficking, prompting a comprehensive review of its operations during its recent stop in Sierra Leone.

The Comoros-flagged vessel arrived in Freetown on April 17, 2026, where it remained for five days. During this interval, routine inspections confirmed the cargo consisted of 1,151 metric tons of palm kernel cakes, 250 metric tons of marine diesel fuel, and 15 metric tons of fresh water. All administrative procedures and port documentations were verified as compliant.

While the vessel departed on April 22, 2026, with a crew of 17, investigators noted irregularities in the voyage timeline. The journey took nine days instead of the standard six, a discrepancy that has fueled suspicions of potential clandestine activity during the transit.

Put together, the Sierra Leonean authorities stated a check on their procedures clearing the possibility of any illegal activity occurring whilst docked in its port.

The Belgian court also convicted several accomplices linked to the wider trafficking network, handing down sentences ranging from 18 months to 10 years, along with additional fines and restrictions on access to port facilities.

Despite the conviction, Leijdekkers remains at large and continues to evade international law enforcement. He already faces multiple criminal convictions in both Belgium and the Netherlands.

Dutch intelligence agencies have previously alleged that the fugitive may be hiding in Sierra Leone, claims which Sierra Leonean authorities have consistently denied.

The latest ruling underscores ongoing international efforts to dismantle major drug trafficking networks operating across Europe and West Africa, while renewed attention continues to focus on the movements of the fugitive known as “Bolle Jos.”