Fugitive Kingpins Salgado and Bolle Jos Linked to Global Cocaine Network
By Staff Reporter
Spanish fugitive Alejandro Salgado Vega, widely known as “El Tigre,” and Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers, known as “Bolle Jos,” have reportedly been linked to an alleged international cocaine-trafficking network coordinating operations across several continents.
According to intelligence sources and anti-narcotics investigators cited in reports, the two men are alleged to be part of a group of international drug traffickers working together to coordinate cocaine distribution routes connecting Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Salgado Vega has been described by Spanish authorities as a major cocaine broker. He reportedly came close to being apprehended by investigators at his former hideout in Dubai before allegedly receiving assistance that enabled him to evade arrest.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) has previously raised concerns about Leijdekkers’ alleged presence and protected status in Sierra Leone, warning that the country could become attractive to international fugitives seeking to evade law enforcement.
Salgado Vega’s alleged criminal network is reported to span several continents. Brazilian investigations in 2026 reportedly identified him as a broker connected to multi-tonne cocaine shipments moving from the Port of Santos to Hong Kong, with an estimated value of nearly US$90 million.
Spanish authorities also reportedly linked him in 2024 to a case involving more than 13 tonnes of cocaine intercepted at Spain’s Algeciras port. Salgado has denied the allegations.
The alleged activities of the two fugitives have attracted renewed attention from European and international law-enforcement agencies.
In May 2026, Spanish authorities announced the seizure of approximately 30.2 tonnes of cocaine aboard the merchant vessel Arconian, describing it as one of the largest cocaine seizures in the country’s history.
Spanish investigators have reportedly alleged that Leijdekkers was connected to the shipment and that the cocaine was stored in Sierra Leone before being transported towards Europe. However, official court proceedings have not formally established his guilt in relation to the seizure.
An independent assessment by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime reportedly concluded that the shipment was likely loaded in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leonean authorities, however, have strongly rejected the allegation.
Officials in Freetown have maintained that preliminary inspections at the Port of Freetown found no illegal cargo aboard the vessel when it departed Sierra Leone.
The conflicting claims have raised concerns among international observers about Sierra Leone’s port security, maritime surveillance and capacity to detect transnational organised crime.
Both Salgado Vega and Leijdekkers remain fugitives, while international law-enforcement agencies continue efforts to locate and apprehend them.
