Spanish officers found up to 45 tonnes aboard the Arconian off Morocco. The Guardian ties the cargo to Jos Leijdekkers, while Sierra Leone's port chief denies cocaine was loaded in Freetown.
Lucas Fernandez, who took part in the operation, said the drugs were stored along a corridor about 60 metres long.
Spanish law enforcement intercepted the Arconian off Morocco on May 1 and found 1,279 packages of cocaine. The estimated weight ranged from 30 to 45 tonnes. The seizure ranks among the largest reported cocaine hauls; The Guardian described it as the largest in history.
The vessel carried 23 Filipino crew members. Officers also found six armed men in the cargo hold.
The reported trail runs from Sierra Leone to Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers. The Guardian said the ship had departed from Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital. Western intelligence sources cited by the newspaper said about 30 tonnes may have been loaded there over four days, after the Arconian arrived at the port on April 18. Port chief Yankuba Bio rejected the claim as unfounded. He said the port does not handle or facilitate drug exports.
The Guardian has linked the shipment to Leijdekkers, describing him as one of Europe's most wanted drug traffickers. He is also the son-in-law of Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio. The port chief disputes the allegation that cocaine was loaded in Freetown.
According to The Guardian, Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia to more than 100 years in prison in the Netherlands and Belgium. The sentences included a conviction for attempted murder.
Separately, the District Court of Rotterdam sentenced him to 24 years on June 25, 2024. The case involved six cocaine shipments totaling more than 7,000 kilograms. It also covered a violent robbery in Finland. The court case included arranging a murder. Dutch authorities have said they believe Leijdekkers is in Sierra Leone and have made bringing him back to the Netherlands a priority.
In a separate proceeding, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service sought the confiscation of more than €221.6 million in criminal assets linked to 14 drug shipments involving about 14,000 kilograms of cocaine. Those Dutch cases concern other shipments. They do not establish Leijdekkers' role in the Arconian cargo.
The Netherlands requested Leijdekkers' extradition in January 2025, The Guardian reported. Sierra Leonean authorities said at the time that they did not know who he was.
In October 2025, nine people disappeared in Freetown. They included 40-year-old shop owner Alan Jalloh and footballer Alusine "Bokai" Koroma. Sources in police and intelligence services told The Guardian they linked the disappearances to a dispute over a cocaine deal and mentioned Leijdekkers. The report treats the disappearances as a separate allegation, not as part of the Arconian seizure. Sierra Leone's police and military did not respond to The Guardian's requests for comment about the disappearances.
Maghreb Insider has separately examined Morocco's digital exposure in a cybersecurity report. The Arconian case concerns physical cargo and maritime enforcement.
