By Joe Turay
Turkey has extradited the older brother of fugitive Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, better known as “Bolle Jos”, to the Netherlands, where he will face prosecution on money laundering charges, Dutch media reported.
Harry Leijdekkers, 51, had been detained in Istanbul following a request from Dutch authorities, who suspect him of helping to launder proceeds generated by the criminal network allegedly led by his younger brother.
Dutch prosecutors accuse him of playing a role in concealing and moving funds linked to large-scale cocaine trafficking operations attributed to the Leijdekkers organisation. He had been arrested several times in Turkey over the past two years while Dutch authorities sought his extradition.
The extradition marks a breakthrough for Dutch investigators pursuing associates and family members of Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has launched several investigations into members of the Leijdekkers family. Last month, a court in Rotterdam acquitted the fugitive’s father of money laundering charges relating to luxury watches, while separate proceedings against his mother and sister on broader money laundering allegations are ongoing.
Harry Leijdekkers is expected to appear before a Dutch court in the coming weeks.
Jos Leijdekkers, 34, has become one of the most sought-after fugitives in Europe. Dutch courts have sentenced him in absentia to lengthy prison terms for international cocaine trafficking and ordering acts of violence linked to organised crime. Belgian courts have also convicted him in major drug trafficking cases.
Dutch authorities have offered a reward for information leading to his arrest. Investigators believe he has spent time in Sierra Leone, where media reports and leaked images have suggested he moved within circles close to senior political figures. Sierra Leonean authorities have repeatedly faced questions from Dutch officials regarding his whereabouts, although no extradition has taken place.
The pursuit of Leijdekkers has become a high-profile test of international cooperation against transnational organised crime, particularly cocaine trafficking networks operating between Latin America, West Africa and Europe.
