By Lawrence Williams
The Sierra Leone Immigration Department announced it has launched an investigation into how Turkish-born international drug baron and head of the ‘Chrooke’ criminal organization, Abdullah Alp Üstün (also known as Don Vito) came to possess a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport.
Üstün was recently arrested in the United Arab Emirates and extradited to Turkey, where he faces trial for alleged crimes including money laundering, drug trafficking, and establishing a criminal network for illicit activities, according to the Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
International media reports indicate that Üstün is the brother-in-law of Dutch cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, commonly known as Bolle Jos, and the two have strong business ties with international drug trade. The Netherlands government stated that Leijdekkers has been residing in Sierra Leone and is married to the daughter of President Julius Maada Bio.
It is alleged that Leijdekkers entered Sierra Leone using a Turkish passport bearing the name Omar Sherif. However, the Sierra Leonean government has denied these claims, despite photographic and video evidence showing Leijdekkers attending a New Year’s Day service with the First Family in Tihun, the president’s hometown, and appearing alongside President Bio at a symbolic harvest ceremony.
A New Lines Magazine investigation in July 2025 revealed how Leijdekkers has embedded himself within Sierra Leone’s political and security elites, using the country as a launchpad to revive his international cocaine trafficking empire
Dutch authorities say their request for Leijdekkers’ extradition was declined by their Sierra Leonean counterparts, raising concerns about Sierra Leone’s commitment to international cooperation in combating transnational drug crimes.
The issuance of Sierra Leonean diplomatic passports is governed by the Passport Act of 1964 and reinforced by a Cabinet Conclusion dated 15th July 1998, which stipulates that such passports are reserved for senior government officials and their spouses. These include the President, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice, Cabinet Ministers, and accredited representatives or special envoys engaged in diplomatic relations abroad.
A 2020 performance audit by the Audit Service Sierra Leone revealed instances where the Immigration Department issued diplomatic passports to ineligible individuals without the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In some cases, approvals were granted by the ministry without the required executive clearance from the Office of the President. The report noted that such irregularities “may have created room for personal gains by some public officials and at the same time discredited the image of the country in the eyes of the international community.”
According to the Immigration Department, any wrongdoing uncovered in the ongoing investigation regarding the misuse of diplomatic passports will result in immediate disciplinary and legal action.
