The Drug Lord Saga in Sierra Leone has taken a New Direction


 It's been ten months since reports emerged that convicted Dutch drug smuggler Jos Leijdekkers was in Sierra Leone.

Some newspaper articles suggested he may have been in the country for more than two years before this revelation, indicating that Sierra Leone's president and his men welcomed the drug dealer with open arms. 

In February, the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security reportedly expressed frustration over the Sierra Leone government's lack of cooperation.

Dutch media indicated that the minister was becoming increasingly impatient with Sierra Leone's handling of the situation.

According to the NL Times, in September, Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison and fined 24,000 euros by a Belgian court for smuggling 3,500 kilograms of cocaine in Antwerp in 2020.

The report also stated that in 2024, he received a 24-year sentence for orchestrating six cocaine shipments totaling 7,000 kilograms, committing a violent robbery in Finland, and ordering a hit in Belgium.

Additionally, in July, a Dutch court ruled that he must pay over 96 million euros to the state in a confiscation case.

Despite all this, Leijdekkers was still believed to be residing in Sierra Leone. 

Local newspapers frequently highlight his lavish gifts to public officials, including SUVs, cash, luxury cars, and jewelry.  Reports also indicated his visits to the State House to meet with the president of Sierra Leone, who has faced accusations of providing sanctuary to the drug lord because he is dating the president's daughter. The couple reportedly welcomed a child in the United States recently amid a national conversation on birth tourists.











This weekend, local journalists reported that a Turkish man was extradited from Dubai to Turkey and is alleged to possess a diplomatic passport from Sierra Leone.

Mohamed K. Mansaray, a former presidential candidate, posted a photo of a different man on social media, according to some documents.

Local journalists stated that the man arrested today is linked to Jos Leijdekkers and was previously arrested in 2023 during a high-profile operation covered on Turkish television. 

One report mentioned that the Jos Leijdekkers scandal involving billions of dollars tied to cocaine and drug money has tarnished Sierra Leone’s image, prompting the need for a national conversation on how to address this issue. 

The government has announced that it will provide updates regarding the alleged diplomatic passport as soon as all the facts are gathered.






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