Agnes BioThe high-profile Dutch cocaine trafficker accused of orchestrating large-scale shipments into Europe has reportedly sought refuge in Sierra Leone after fathering a child with President Julius Maada Bio’s daughter, according to opposition figures. Jos Leijdekkers, 34, also known as “Chubby Jos,” is said to have spent more than two years in the West African country while being sought by authorities throughout Europe.
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, the opposition leader, has publicly stated that the president’s daughter, Agnes Bio, gave birth to Leijdekkers’ child in New York. Mansaray claims that the Bio administration has sheltered the fugitive and obstructed efforts to extradite him to face justice in the Netherlands and Belgium. The government has denied the allegations. Leijdekkers was seen with members of the first family.
First Lady Fatima Bio’s social media video of a New Year’s church service shows a man named Leijdekkers standing two rows behind the president. Some reports claimed he was seated next to the president’s daughter, but President Bio has denied knowing Leijdekkers. Follow the Money and AD have also obtained video footage of the trafficker attending a private birthday party in March 2024 for Alusine Kanneh, Sierra Leone’s immigration chief, and appearing to present a gift.
Leijdekkers has previously been convicted of extensive cocaine trafficking in the Netherlands and Belgium. Last year, he was sentenced to 24 years in the Netherlands for his alleged involvement in six major shipments. In September, he received an eight-year sentence in Belgium, bringing his total Belgian prison term to 50 years; his sentences in both countries total 74 years. He is also accused of torture and murder. Dutch authorities have formally requested his extradition, but legal appeals and processes are still pending. A reward of €200,000 has been offered for information that leads to his capture.
According to sources, Leijdekkers now goes by the alias Omar Sheriff and operates from a fortified compound in Freetown, managing what some investigators describe as a multibillion-dollar smuggling network—estimates in reporting put the value of his operation at around €1 billion. According to reports, he remained in Sierra Leone during the child’s birth in New York, while President Bio visited his daughter and grandchildren during the UN General Assembly.
Sierra Leone’s communications ministry stated in response to the mounting media reports that the president had “no knowledge of the identity or the issues detailed” regarding Leijdekkers. The allegations have prompted opposition figures to demand independent investigations and greater transparency. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, the “Africa route” used to transport cocaine into Europe now accounts for roughly one-third of the continent’s supply. It could increase to half within five years.
