Dutch prosecutors have announced a record €2 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a convicted cocaine trafficker and one of Europe's most-wanted fugitives, whose name surfaced in an investigation involving Ghana.

The reward is available to anyone who provides information that leads to his arrest, prosecutors said in a statement on Monday, November 2, 2026.

In announcing the €2 million bounty on Monday, Dutch prosecutors said the reward would be paid to anyone whose information provides the crucial lead resulting in Leijdekkers' arrest.

The amount, equivalent to approximately $2.2 million, represents the highest reward ever offered by Dutch authorities.

The development comes as Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) investigates three suspects accused of representing and facilitating the activities of the Dutch fugitive drug trafficker in the country.

The suspects were arrested following the seizure of a major cocaine shipment by French customs, which authorities believe may be connected to a wider international drug-trafficking network.

NACOC said the three suspects are currently in its custody and are assisting investigators in determining their alleged roles in the operation.

The Commission said the arrests form part of efforts to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks operating in or through Ghana.

Investigators are expected to examine the suspects' alleged links to Leijdekkers, their activities in Ghana and any connections they may have had with the wider international network.

The investigation could provide further insight into whether Ghana was being used as a transit point, operational base or connection point for activities allegedly linked to the fugitive.

Who is Jos Leijdekkers, the European fugitive drug lord linked to Ghana?

Who is Jos Leijdekkers?

Leijdekkers, 35, is known in the Netherlands as Bolle Jos, or Chubby Jos. According to police, he also uses the name Omar Sherrif in Sierra Leone.

He is described by Dutch prosecutors as a key player in international cocaine trafficking and is believed to have made tens of millions of euros from the illicit trade.

A Dutch court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison last year for smuggling more than seven metric tonnes of cocaine.

He is also the subject of several ongoing police investigations in the Netherlands. In neighbouring Belgium, a court sentenced him to 79 years in prison.

Dutch authorities further suspect him of money laundering and involvement in the use of extreme violence.

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