A Polish lorry driver has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison after attempting to smuggle more than £7 million worth of cocaine into the United Kingdom concealed within a legitimate shipment of Kim Kardashian's Skims clothing brand.
Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was intercepted by Border Force officers at Harwich port on September 5 last year, moments after his heavy goods vehicle arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands. The truck contained 28 pallets of genuine Skims apparel, but Konkel had made a secret detour to collect 90 kilograms of cocaine, which he stashed in a hidden compartment built into the rear doors of the trailer.
Details of the Smuggling Attempt
The Class A drug was packaged in 1-kilogram blocks and concealed within the skin of the rear trailer doors. During questioning, Konkel admitted that he had agreed to transport the cocaine in exchange for a payment of €4,500, approximately £3,914.
National Crime Agency (NCA) operations manager Paul Orchard commented: “Organised crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to move class A drugs, often hidden on entirely legitimate loads such as this. The detection and investigation have removed a significant amount of cocaine whose profits are lost to the crime group behind the smuggling attempt, and with Konkel they’ve lost an important enabler. The NCA works with partners at home and abroad to protect the public from the threat of class A drugs, which are at the epicentre of huge amounts of crime and suffering in UK communities.”
Legitimate Shipment Unaffected
Authorities confirmed that the shipment of Skims clothing was entirely legitimate, and neither the exporter nor the importer had any connection to the smuggled drugs. Border Force assistant director Jason Thorn added: “These drugs destroy lives and inflict misery on our communities. This significant interception is testament to the brilliant work of Border Force, depriving criminal networks of millions in profit.”
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by UK law enforcement to disrupt drug trafficking operations that exploit commercial supply chains. Konkel's sentence reflects the severity of the offence and serves as a deterrent to others considering similar criminal activities.
