A major investigation by British newspaper The Guardian has alleged that Dutch fugitive and convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers established a powerful cocaine trafficking network with links to influential figures and institutions in Sierra Leone, raising fresh questions about the country’s ability to combat organised crime.
The investigation, published on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, describes what it characterises as the capture of state institutions by a criminal network. It alleges that the network operated through political connections, security officials and strategic infrastructure, including the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown.
The claims are serious allegations reported by The Guardian and should not be treated as proof that every individual or institution mentioned was involved in criminal activity.
A central element of the investigation is the seizure of the cargo vessel Arconian by Spanish law enforcement on 1 May 2026.
According to The Guardian, the vessel was intercepted after intelligence agencies received information about a ship carrying a substantial cocaine shipment from West Africa. Spanish officers reportedly discovered a large quantity of cocaine and arrested the 23-member Filipino crew, alongside six armed men allegedly guarding the consignment.
The publication reports that the vessel had departed from Freetown and that intelligence sources estimated the shipment could have involved approximately 30 tonnes of cocaine. Its account describes the seizure as a major disruption to an international trafficking operation.
The report also examines other vessels that allegedly followed suspicious routes from Sierra Leone towards Europe and North Africa. It says maritime tracking analysis identified patterns involving vessels changing their identities or disabling tracking systems.
These findings raise questions about port security, maritime surveillance and the ability of international criminal networks to exploit commercial shipping routes. However, the allegations about individual shipments and their organisers require assessment against official seizure records and evidence presented by law enforcement authorities.
The report alleges that Leijdekkers built relationships with influential people in Sierra Leone after establishing a presence in the country.
The Guardian identifies Leijdekkers as the husband of Agnes Bio, a daughter of President Julius Maada Bio. It further alleges that people connected to his network had links to security personnel and officials responsible for immigration and port operations.
The investigation also discusses Yankuba Bio, who became head of the country’s port in August 2023. It alleges that some port officials received payments linked to the trafficking network.
However, Yankuba Bio denied having a close relationship with anyone identified as Jos Leijdekkers. He also rejected the allegations concerning the port, describing them as false and without foundation, and said the port did not engage in or facilitate cocaine exports.
These denials are important. Allegations about a person’s relationships, official position or presence in a reported investigation do not, by themselves, establish criminal responsibility.
Another part of the investigation concerns alleged kidnappings, disappearances and suspicious deaths in Sierra Leone.
The publication reports that several people disappeared after a major cocaine seizure, including shopkeeper Alan Jalloh. It alleges that some individuals were targeted because they were suspected of having information about the trafficking operation or its disruption.
The report also discusses the deaths of port worker John Conteh and police officers, including Superintendent Matthew Banya. It cites intelligence assessments, police sources and witnesses who reportedly questioned the circumstances surrounding some of these incidents.
These are among the most serious claims in the investigation. They have not all been established through publicly available court findings, and the allegations should not be reported as proven murders or as proof of the involvement of named individuals without independent corroboration.
The Guardian says Sierra Leone’s police and military did not respond to requests for comment on aspects of its reporting.
Leijdekkers is not simply a person wanted on untested allegations. His criminal record includes convictions handed down in his absence by European courts.
In January 2025, The Guardian reported that Dutch prosecutors confirmed he was believed to be living in Sierra Leone. A Rotterdam court had sentenced him to 24 years in prison in 2024 for offences including cocaine trafficking, an armed robbery in Finland and ordering a murder. A Belgian court also sentenced him to 10 years in prison in September 2024 for drug-trafficking offences and assault.
The new investigation alleges that his operations expanded across West Africa, including into Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Ghana. It also reports that arrests and cocaine seizures in other countries have increased pressure on his alleged network.
Leijdekkers’ lawyer rejected the latest allegations, describing them as politically motivated and disputing information attributed to anonymous sources. The investigation also says the office of President Bio declined to comment, while noting that it does not suggest the president was personally implicated in suspected illegal activity linked to Leijdekkers.