Sierra Leone’s Chief Immigration Officer, Alusine Kanneh, was dismissed after a video surfaced showing him accepting a gift from a notorious European drug trafficker.

The footage, released by investigative website Follow the Money, shows Kanneh at a social gathering receiving a gift from Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch fugitive known as "Chubby Jos." Leijdekkers, a major figure in the international cocaine trade, is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone.

The video also features Andrew Jaiah Kaikai, the head of Sierra Leone’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, observing the event. The footage is believed to have been taken last year.

Following the video's release, President Julius Maada Bio immediately removed Kanneh from his position. The country’s information minister, Chernor Bah, confirmed the decision but did not specify the reason for the dismissal, stating that the president has the authority to hire and fire officials at his discretion.

Leijdekkers, also known as "Omar Sheriff," is on Europol’s most wanted list and was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Rotterdam court for ordering a murder and trafficking seven tonnes of cocaine. Europol has offered a €200,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Concerns over Leijdekkers’ presence in Sierra Leone intensified after images surfaced showing him at a religious event attended by President Bio and the First Lady, Fatima Bio. Opposition figures have accused the government of harboring the fugitive, with claims that he has a relationship with the president’s daughter, Agnes Bio.

Sierra Leonean authorities launched a manhunt for Leijdekkers in February but have yet to provide an update on his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Dutch officials have urged Sierra Leone to take action, emphasizing that criminals should not be allowed to operate freely.

West Africa remains a key transit hub for cocaine smuggling from Latin America to Europe, with criminal networks exploiting the region’s weak enforcement mechanisms.