Three suspected associates of drug lord Leijdekkers arrested in Ghana after seizure of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France
15:41, 15 сентября 2026 г.
Authorities in Ghana have arrested three men suspected of operating on behalf of Joseph “Chubby Jos” Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted cocaine kingpins, following a massive drug seizure at a French port.
The operation, conducted by Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission, came days after French customs officials intercepted approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine - valued at an estimated 225 million euro ($261 million) - at the port of Dunkirk, according to Reuters. Leijdekkers’s lawyers, Jan-Hein Kuijpers and Guy Weski, have stated in a response to Dutch media NU.nl that their client denies any involvement with the seized cocaine.
Ghanaian officials said the three suspects were allegedly assisting Leijdekkers’ network as it uses West Africa to route South American narcotics into European markets.
Leijdekkers has long evaded international law enforcement despite a trail of convictions across the continent. In 2024, a Dutch court sentenced him in absentia to 24 years in prison for large-scale drug trafficking, armed robbery, and ordering a contract killing. In July, a Belgian court handed down an additional 14-year sentence in absentia for orchestrating cocaine shipments through the port of Antwerp. Dutch authorities are currently offering a 200,000 euro ($232,000) reward for information leading to his arrest.
Despite international red notices, Leijdekkers has reportedly directed global smuggling operations from Sierra Leone, where he allegedly enjoys deep ties to the country’s political and economic elite. Spanish intelligence officers previously told OCCRP that Leijdekkers appears to operate with "total impunity" out of Freetown.
The brazen nature of the crime group has driven a surge in diplomatic pressure from Western allies. David van Weel, the Dutch Minister of Justice, recently traveled to Accra to meet with counterparts from Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia to coordinate regional enforcement.
“The extradition of Jos L. is a top priority for the Netherlands,” van Weel told OCCRP, adding that Sierra Leonean officials confirmed that legal proceedings concerning the fugitive’s status remain active.
For Ghanaian authorities, the recent arrests are aimed at sending a clear message to transatlantic syndicates attempting to establish footholds along the West African coast.
The operation demonstrates "NACOC’s resolve that Ghana will not be a safe haven, transit point, or operational base for international drug-trafficking organizations," said Francis Opoku Amoah, a spokesman for the agency.