By Lawrence Williams 

The EU Parliament has formally adopted a resolution on international drug trafficking, explicitly naming Sierra Leone while calling for stronger diplomatic and judicial action to bring convicted Dutch drug kingpin Jos Leijdekkers to justice.

The resolution was passed during the parliament’s September plenary session.

EU lawmakers point to Leijdekkers, “who remains at large in Sierra Leone,” as a clear example of how high-profile drug fugitives exploit West African transit routes to evade justice as security tightens at European ports.

“…this underscores the need for strengthened judicial cooperation with third countries, including countries in West Africa, to ensure that individuals convicted of serious drug trafficking offences – such as Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, who remains at large in Sierra Leone – do not evade justice,” the EU Parliament stated

They noted that as security deepens at major European ports, criminal syndicates are increasingly shifting their logistical hubs to West Africa. To counter this, the resolution stresses that anti-trafficking efforts cannot stop at EU borders. Instead, it urges European agencies to expand joint maritime operations, intelligence sharing, and judicial cooperation with West African governments.

They further called for targeted capacity-building to help vulnerable transit nations strengthen border security and address the underlying socio-economic conditions exploited by international cartels.

Crucially, the resolution does not order an immediate suspension of EU development assistance to Sierra Leone, nor does it automatically trigger economic sanctions.

Though the EU Commission introduced a proposal in July 2026 for a potential sanctions framework targeting organized crime (including travel bans and asset freezes), any decision regarding EU development funding would require separate institutional proceedings.

Beyond the specific references to Sierra Leone and Leijdekkers, the resolution outlines a broad strategy to combat maritime drug smuggling across key Atlantic trade routes.

The EU Parliament also directed the resolution be forwarded to the EU Council, European Commission, member state governments, Europol, Eurojust, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations.