An explosive investigative report by New Lines Magazine has revealed how Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch national and one of Europe’s most wanted drug lords, embedded himself within the Sierra Leone’s political and security elites, using the country as a launchpad to revive his international cocaine trafficking empire.
Operating under the alias “Omar Sheriff,” Leijdekkers infiltrated the highest levels of power, building deep connections in government, law enforcement, and the military, the report said. According to New Lines, a leaked video from a lavish birthday party of a senior government official shows Leijdekkers gifting the celebrant a gold Rolex watch, underscoring his open ties to senior officials.
“He had everyone in his pocket, throwing around a lot of money,” a source familiar with his operations told New Lines. “That man bought expensive cars for ministers, the head of the military, the head of the police.” His former housekeeper corroborated the claim, telling the magazine that Leijdekkers generosity secured him access and influence.
Leijdekkers deep integration into elite circles coincided with a disturbing pattern and spike in cocaine seizures tied to Sierra Leone’s maritime and airspace. Between November 2022 and October 2023, several major drug busts – including a 4.6-ton shipment seized off the coast by the French navy, a 1.5-ton seizure by Guinean authorities, and a record 10-ton haul in Antwerp hidden in soybean flour from Sierra Leone – all pointed to the country becoming a key corridor for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe.
The Antwerp port spokesperson called the 10-ton case “the first time large quantities of cocaine entered Antwerp via Sierra Leone.” The incident even prompted a violent attack by cartel commandos on customs officials inspecting the seized shipment, an unprecedented escalation in Europe’s port drug wars, the report said.
Despite the high-profile Antwerp bust, trafficking continued. Sources told New Lines that unmarked shipments regularly arrived at Freetown’s wharves, where they were collected by small boats and moved under military escort to Freetown’s container port. In one brazen operation in September 2024, a private jet with a fake registration and disabled radar landed without clearance at Freetown International Airport. Though suspected of carrying cocaine, officials claimed the aircraft had nothing illegal on board. The crew, four Mexicans and one Dutchman, was released after paying a $100,000 fine.
Leijdekkers lavish lifestyle and public presence in high-security areas raised few alarms. According to the New Lines report, security guards at State Lodge, the presidential residence, described him as a charismatic visitor known for dressing sharply and tossing $100 bills as he exited the premises to his luxury SUV. Among staff, he was nicknamed “Jagaban”.
In late 2023, Leijdekkers relocated to Two Seasons Resort, a luxury villa compound in Tokeh. The resort was purchased by Hassan Salman, a prominent Lebanese car dealer allegedly helping with the drug lord’s financial arrangements. A former staff member told New Lines that government ministers frequently visited the compound, often leaving with envelopes of cash.
“They visited him every day. Do you know how much money he doled out to them when they visited?” the source claimed. Leijdekkers reportedly flooded surrounding villages with bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, and onions, earning admiration from local residents even as he deepened his criminal operations.
This latest revelations by a foreign press have raised serious concerns about Sierra Leone’s role in the global cocaine trade and the vulnerability of state institutions to transnational organized crime. As the country continues to market itself as an emerging investment destination, the New Lines investigation casts a long shadow over the integrity of state institutions and calls into question the strength of Sierra Leone’s commitment to global anti-narcotics enforcement and rule of law.
Read the full investigative report by New Lines Magazine here