Crime

Conviction of Cologne official over fraudulent passports

◆2 sources

A former Cologne municipal official was given a suspended sentence of more than a year for bribery after arranging fraudulent passports for criminal figures. Reports identified Dutch fugitive drug trafficker Bolle Jos Leijdekkers, members of his family and business associates among those assisted; two reports said he received three passports. One report also said the official helped major cocaine smugglers, including a Brazilian figure described as Escobar.