The Dutch Public Prosecution Service aims to ensure convicted drug criminal Jos L., also known as “Bolle Jos,” serves his sentence. Recently, it was revealed that he is in Sierra Leone, West Africa, a country with which the Netherlands lacks an extradition treaty.
However, criminal lawyer Tamara Buruma from Prakken d’Oliveira states that extradition might be possible under a UN convention signed by most countries. Both Sierra Leone and the Netherlands are parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which includes provisions for extradition.
Despite this, complications arise if poor treatment in prison is foreseeable, or if extradition becomes a political decision by the involved countries. The Netherlands could also request Sierra Leone to declare L. an undesirable person, but this may be seen as a covert extradition attempt.
An Interpol notice could be another option, alerting other countries to L.’s wanted status. Sierra Leone is identified by Interpol as a significant hub for drug trafficking, with connections to the president’s family, potentially complicating matters.
Source: NOS