Sierra Leone is facing a deepening international scandal after mounting evidence linked top officials and diplomats to a growing cocaine network operating under the cover of state authority.
At the heart of the crisis is Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, alias Bolle Jos, one of Europe’s most-wanted cocaine traffickers, who reportedly found refuge in Sierra Leone under high-level protection. Despite his conviction in absentia in the Netherlands for trafficking over seven tonnes of cocaine, Leijdekkers is believed to have lived comfortably in the country, shielded by political and security figures.
Recent embarrassment came when Guinean authorities intercepted a vehicle belonging to Sierra Leone’s embassy in Conakry loaded with suspected cocaine. The shocking discovery led to the arrest of Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Guinea, Alimamy Bangura, who was detained and questioned for weeks. Diplomatic sources say Bangura was only released after the government of Sierra Leone intervened and pleaded for his freedom, sparking outrage over the misuse of diplomatic privilege for criminal cover-ups.
The scandal has strained Sierra Leone’s relations with Western partners and regional allies, with European intelligence officials describing the country as a potential “safe haven” for traffickers. Diplomatic sources in Brussels and London say the case has embarrassed Sierra Leonean officials abroad, with travellers from the country now facing increased scrutiny at foreign airports.
“The presence of a convicted European cocaine kingpin being harboured under state watch — and the involvement of diplomatic vehicles — has damaged Sierra Leone’s credibility,” one security analyst noted. “It gives the impression of a government either complicit or incapable of cleaning its own house.”
The fallout has also exposed the failure of state institutions, particularly the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which has yet to investigate the widening trail of political and financial beneficiaries of the drug trade. Reports indicate that cocaine profits are being laundered into real estate, politics, and youth gangs, further destabilising the country.
Earlier this year, Sierra Leone’s Immigration Chief was dismissed after a leaked video showed him receiving a birthday gift from Leijdekkers — another sign of how far the drug network has penetrated official structures.
For many Sierra Leoneans, the scandal has become a national humiliation — a reminder of how state weakness and elite corruption can turn a struggling democracy into a narcotics hub. Analysts warn that unless the government acts decisively, the label “narco-state” may soon cling permanently to Sierra Leone’s international reputation.
As one diplomat in Freetown bluntly put it: “This is no longer about one man or one deal — it’s about a state slowly being captured by cocaine money.”
By Joe Turay
