By Joe Turay
Belgian prosecutors have requested a 13-year prison sentence for alleged Dutch drug kingpin Jos Leijdekkers in a major cocaine trafficking trial involving a record shipment of narcotics routed through West Africa.
Leijdekkers, widely known as “Bolle Jos,” is accused of orchestrating the import of approximately 11 tonnes of cocaine into the port of Antwerp, one of Europe’s busiest drug entry points.
The drugs, with an estimated street value of €550 million ($600 million), were concealed in a container of palm kernel meal shipped from Sierra Leone and intercepted by Belgian authorities in October 2023 before reaching the market.
Prosecutors told the court that Leijdekkers played a central coordinating role in the operation, which involved multiple criminal networks and competing groups seeking control of the shipment. Investigators warned the seizure risked triggering violent reprisals, as rival gangs attempted to recover the consignment.
“The scale of the trafficking and the associated violence justify severe penalties,” prosecutors argued, emphasizing the broader threat posed by transnational drug networks operating through European ports.
Leijdekkers did not appear in court and is believed to be abroad. He has previously been convicted in both Belgium and the Netherlands on drug-related charges and remains one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives.
The case includes 22 defendants, with prosecutors seeking sentences ranging from 18 months to 10 years for other suspects involved in the operation.
Belgian authorities have intensified efforts to crack down on organized crime in Antwerp, which has become a focal point for cocaine smuggling into Europe, often linked to Latin American cartels and African transit routes.
A verdict in the case is expected in the coming weeks.
