Turkish authorities have extradited a man alleged to be carrying a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport and accused of links to international drug trafficking, judicial bribery and other crimes, officials and media reports said on Tuesday.
The man, identified by Turkish media as Abdullah Alp Üstün – also known as Don Vito – was reportedly flown from Dubai to Turkey under an Interpol Red Notice. Photos released by Turkish officials showed Üstün and another suspect, identified as Hassan Lala, blindfolded on board a plane.
Üstün is said to be the brother-in-law of Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos, who is wanted in Europe for alleged cocaine trafficking and organized crime. Media reports in Sierra Leone and Europe have alleged that Üstün possessed a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport, purportedly obtained through Leijdekkers’ influence.
The Sierra Leone government said on Monday it had launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of diplomatic passports following reports of the arrest. The Sierra Leone Immigration Department (SLID) said it was working to determine how a Turkish national came into possession of such a document and whether any procedural failures or misconduct were involved.
Information Minister Chernor Bah told Reuters that the government was seeking additional details before making a full statement. “We take these allegations very seriously and will provide an update once we have verified all information,” he said.
The case has renewed scrutiny of Sierra Leone’s diplomatic passport system, which has previously faced criticism over alleged irregularities and misuse.
This is a developing story.
By Joe Turay
