Father of fugitive Bolle Jos acquitted in money laundering case over luxury watches

A Rotterdam court on Wednesday cleared the father of Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos, of money laundering charges related to two watches. The Public Prosecution Service had previously recommended a seven-month prison sentence.

The watches were discovered during a search of his home in Rotterdam in January 2023, together with cash and a signal jammer. They were luxury timepieces from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.

Prosecutors had already requested acquittal for one of the watches due to insufficient evidence. The other watch, valued at around 110,000 euros according to the OM, was allegedly a gift from the fugitive Jos to his father, purchased with drug money. Leijdekkers is said to have acquired the watches through a diamond dealer in Antwerp.

Joseph Leijdekkers, 71, denied the allegations. He said the Audemars Piguet watch belonged to his wife and that he traded it for two Rolex watches with a dealer in Dubai. He also stated that he exchanged the Patek Philippe with the same dealer for a Rolex and two diamonds. The court concluded that the origin of the watches could not be proven. “And in cases of doubt, acquittal is required,” the presiding judge said.

The mother and sister of Bolle Jos are set to face trial for money laundering at a later date, but their case has been postponed. It is not yet clear when they will appear before the court.

Jos Leijdekkers, 34, is currently believed to be residing in Sierra Leone. In the Netherlands, he has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for drug trafficking and ordering a murder.

In Belgium, he has also received multiple lengthy prison sentences in drug-related cases, and this week an additional eight-year sentence was added. He has been on the Dutch National Most Wanted List since May 2022, with a reward of 200,000 euros offered for information leading to his arrest. Leijdekkers is also listed among Europol’s most wanted fugitives.

It was announced on Sunday that the older brother of Bolle Jos has been arrested in Turkey. He is suspected in the Netherlands of laundering criminal funds, and extradition has been requested. It is not yet known when that will take place.