Notorious Dutch drug criminal ‘Bolle’ Jos Leijdekkers (Dutch for 'tubby Jos') has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in absentia. Leijdekkers is the most wanted person in the Netherlands.
He has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Antwerp correctional court for ordering the failed theft of 10 tonnes of cocaine. The court heard that the robbery was meticulously planned but ultimately was not successful.
A total of 19 defendants stood trial, of which two were acquitted. Seven members of the Dutch commando involved in the attempted theft were each sentenced to ten years, and other defendants received prison terms ranging from one year with probation to nine years.
Prevented bloodbath
In October 2023, customs discovered a shipment of 10 tonnes of cocaine – worth around €250 million – in a container of soy flour. To remove the drugs from the shipment, the container was taken to a warehouse in Kalmthout. The drugs were then moved to a customs warehouse in Antwerp where they awaited destruction.
The drug gang, led by Leijdekkers, wanted to recover the shipment. Armed men appeared at the Kalmthout warehouse soon after, but this was empty. They threatened two individuals before leaving. One of the victims called the police and the rapid response team (SRT) intercepted a suspicious van with Dutch number plates near the customs warehouse. Police arrested seven heavily armed men.
Further investigation identified ‘Bolle’ Jos as the mastermind.
The Public Prosecutor said the incident could have ended in a bloodbath if the drugs had still been in the warehouse. "The armed commando wanted to recover that batch of cocaine at any cost," the Prosecutor said during the trial.
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The judge said that the gang "did not consider the consequences of their actions in any way", adding that the consequences of a gun fight "would have been incalculable".
However, it is unlikely Leijdekkers will lose sleep over his prison sentence – he has already been sentenced to 24 years for his part in six drug transports and a murder contract. He has been on the run for years. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service confirmed last month that he is hiding in Sierra Leone, where he is said to have a relationship with the president's daughter.
