Sierra Leone says it is investigating reports that Dutch drug kingpin took refuge in country

FILE PHOTO: Convicted cocaine smuggler Jos Leijdekkers attends a church service in Tihun, Sierra Leone, January 1, 2025, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. First Lady Fatima Maada Bio via Facebook/via REUTERS/File photo

FREETOWN (Reuters) -Sierra Leone's information ministry said on Sunday it was investigating media reports that European cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers is in the country and benefiting from high-level protection there.

Two sources told Reuters on Friday that Leijdekkers, who was sentenced last June in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Dutch court for smuggling more than 7 tonnes of cocaine, had been in Sierra Leone since at least early 2023.