Endemically Corrupt – Sierra Leone’s Dangerous Embrace of the Drug Underworld

By Alpha Amadu Jalloh

Sierra Leone is fast becoming a haven for transnational drug traffickers, money launderers and international criminal syndicates. While our political elite carry on with the business of self-enrichment and empty rhetoric, the very image of the country is under assault. The international community, particularly the United States, is no longer mincing words. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs under the United States State Department has clearly labeled Sierra Leone a drug transshipment country and described its law enforcement institutions as too weak and corrupt to offer any meaningful resistance. The label is not just a reputational crisis. It is a direct indictment of our national security, law enforcement capacity and governance systems.

The INL’s 2021 to 2025 report openly notes that Sierra Leone has become a key transit hub for international drug trafficking, especially cocaine routed from South America and Asia through West Africa into Europe and the United States. The report further asserts that pervasive corruption and weak law enforcement continue to hinder any serious progress in the fight against organized narcotics crime. In diplomatic language, this is the equivalent of a red alert. In geopolitical terms, this is a stain that threatens our diplomatic credibility, regional influence and even bilateral aid arrangements.

One of the most alarming cases illustrating the depth of our national vulnerability is the presence of Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, an internationally wanted drug kingpin, in Sierra Leone. Leijdekkers is not a small-time dealer. He is listed by Europol as one of Europe’s most dangerous criminals. The Netherlands has made repeated requests for his extradition. The response from Sierra Leone has been lukewarm at best. If a man on Interpol’s Red Notice list can freely operate or hide within our borders, what hope is there that Sierra Leone is even pretending to combat drug crime?

According to Dutch law enforcement and several investigative media reports, Leijdekkers allegedly established networks in West Africa with the support of corrupt local actors who help secure his movements, launder proceeds and avoid prosecution. The ease with which he reportedly entered, exited and remained undisturbed in Sierra Leone points to one conclusion. Complicity or at the very least gross incompetence by local authorities.

The refusal or calculated delay to extradite him is a diplomatic embarrassment. The lack of public explanation or transparency from the government raises further questions. Who is protecting Leijdekkers? What does Sierra Leone stand to gain by turning a blind eye to a man responsible for poisoning communities across Europe with cocaine?

Sierra Leone’s silence or inaction on this matter will not come cheap. In the increasingly interconnected world of global diplomacy and finance, reputations matter. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has already described Sierra Leone as endemically corrupt. That term is not just hyperbole. It reflects years of observation, intelligence gathering and policy analysis. It sends a strong signal to foreign investors, donor agencies and security partners that Sierra Leone cannot be trusted to uphold international standards of law enforcement or financial transparency.

Moreover, this classification has a direct bearing on trade agreements, foreign direct investment and international security cooperation. In short, we risk being blacklisted not just as a drug hub but as a failed state incapable of enforcing its own laws. This could affect everything from the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact eligibility to bilateral agreements with regional security partners.

At the heart of this crisis is the decay of our security and justice institutions. The Sierra Leone Police, Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Office of National Security are grossly underfunded, poorly trained and politically compromised. Promotions are often awarded based on tribal affiliation and party loyalty rather than merit. Drug seizures rarely lead to meaningful prosecutions. Judges and magistrates are often accused of taking bribes or delaying proceedings until public interest dies down. There is no coordinated intelligence-sharing mechanism between the military, police and immigration services. The system is designed to fail.

In a well-functioning state, Leijdekkers would never have set foot in the country. Even if he had, he would have been flagged at the border, arrested within hours and extradited with full legal oversight. That did not happen here. Instead, his presence became a well-known secret whispered among diplomats, journalists and civil society activists while the government maintained its silence.

The problem is not just weak enforcement. It is a deeply entrenched culture of impunity. Those who engage in drug trafficking in Sierra Leone do so knowing they are unlikely to be caught. If caught, they are unlikely to be convicted. If convicted, they are unlikely to serve meaningful jail time. This is the reality facing us and the international community has seen through our charade.

It is particularly telling that no senior government official has publicly addressed the Leijdekkers case. The President, the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police are all conspicuously quiet. Where is the parliamentary oversight? Where are the investigative committees? Why has there been no press briefing to clarify the government’s stance on the Dutch extradition request?

The truth is that our political class is either too scared, too compromised or too disinterested to act. Some may have benefited from the drug economy either through direct kickbacks or political donations. Others may simply not understand the long-term implications of harboring international criminals.

By remaining silent, the government sends a message to the world. Sierra Leone is open for criminal business. Cocaine, money laundering and passport fraud are all welcome here as long as you pay the right people.

This is not just about Jos Leijdekkers. This is about the direction Sierra Leone is heading. Do we want to be known as the West African gateway for cocaine or as a nation rebuilding from the shadows of war and corruption? That choice lies with us but time is running out.

Here are a few critical steps the government must take. First, the government must publicly address the status of the extradition request from the Netherlands. Silence only confirms suspicion. Second, our anti-narcotics, immigration and border security agencies need urgent reforms. Better training, better equipment and independent oversight are essential. Third, we must actively cooperate with the DEA, Interpol and other transnational institutions. Being seen as a partner in global crime-fighting will help redeem our reputation. Fourth, drug-related arrests must be prosecuted swiftly and transparently. Judges who compromise cases must be removed and investigated. Fifth, proceeds from criminal networks must be traced, frozen and repatriated. A public asset register should be created for all drug-related seizures. Finally, the media and civil society must be empowered to track, report and investigate drug-related crimes without fear of reprisal.

The classification of Sierra Leone as a narcotics hub is not just a label. It is a wake-up call. The presence of drug lords like Jos Leijdekkers within our borders combined with the tepid response to international extradition requests places our nation at a dangerous crossroads. Either we rise and restore order or we sink into the abyss of international criminal complicity.

This is no longer a matter of politics. It is a matter of national survival.

References

1. United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, 2021 to 2025
https://2021-2025.state.gov/bureau-of-international-narcotics-and-law-enforcement-affairs-work-by-country/sierra-leone-summary

2. Europol Most Wanted List – Jos Leijdekkers
https://eumostwanted.eu

3. Netherlands Public Prosecution Service – Press Statements on Leijdekkers Extradition, 2023

4. United States DEA Intelligence Bulletin on West African Drug Routes, 2024

About the Author

Alpha Amadu Jalloh is a Sierra Leonean writer, political commentator and human rights advocate. He is the author of Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance and recipient of the 2025 Africa Renaissance Leadership Award.

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