Dutch prosecutors seek record 221m euros from drug lord

The illegal assets amassed by Jos Leijdekkers, also known as "Bolle Jos" or "Chubby Jos", were proceeds from cocaine trafficking, as well as purchases of gold and luxury items, the public prosecutors said.

Leijdekkers is thought to have made 114 million euros from 14 cocaine shipments over less than a year.

According to intercepted communications, the 33-year-old also spent 47 million euros on 975 kilogrammes of gold over less than six months.

The kingpin additionally bought real estate including a hotel in Turkey and apartments in Dubai, the prosecutors alleged.

Luxury goods including two Bentley cars, designer bags, jewellery and watches, were also added to the total of illicit assets, bringing the total to 221 million euros.

"This is... only a first step towards tracing Leijdekkers' assets," the prosecutors said.

A Rotterdam court last June sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years in prison for ordering a murder and organising cocaine shipments.

He is on Europol's most-wanted list, with the European police body offering a 200,000-euro reward for information leading to his arrest.

In January, Dutch authorities said they were "absolutely certain" he was hiding out in Sierra Leone.

Images apparently showing Leijdekkers in the company of officials as high as President Julius Maada Bio have sparked speculation the cocaine lord has cosied up to Sierra Leone's political class -- including the president's daughter.

Suspicions he was in Sierra Leone arose after the country's First Lady Fatima Bio posted pictures and a video on social media that showed a man strongly resembling Leijdekkers at a religious service, also attended by President Bio.

Exiled Sierra Leone opposition figure Mohamed Mansaray has accused Bio and his government of "offering refuge" to the drug lord.

According to Mansaray, Leijdekkers has coupled up with the president's daughter Agnes Bio, who is seen accompanying the drug lord in the images.