Polish driver Jakub Jan Konkel was jailed after £7.2M worth of cocaine was found hidden in a Skims clothing shipment.
A Polish lorry driver has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after authorities discovered £7.2 million worth of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of Kim Kardashian’s Skims underwear and clothing entering the UK.
Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 18, 2026, following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into the large-scale drug smuggling operation.
According to investigators, Konkel was stopped by Border Force officers on September 5, 2025, after arriving at the Port of Harwich in Essex on a ferry from Hook of Holland in the Netherlands. His heavy goods vehicle was carrying 28 pallets of legitimate Skims-branded clothing and underwear, the shapewear company co-founded by celebrity Kim Kardashian. Authorities confirmed neither the exporter nor importer was connected to the smuggling operation.
During an x-ray inspection, officers discovered the trailer had been specially modified with hidden compartments built into the rear doors. Inside, investigators uncovered 90 one-kilogram packages of cocaine concealed within the structure of the lorry. The cocaine haul had an estimated street value of approximately £7.2 million.
NCA investigators said Konkel’s tachograph data revealed he made an undeclared 16-minute stop during the journey, which authorities believe was when the drugs were loaded onto the vehicle. Prosecutors alleged the cocaine shipment was coordinated between Konkel and an organised crime group operating across Europe.
Konkel, who is from Kartuzy in northern Poland, initially denied knowledge of the drugs before later pleading guilty to importing Class A narcotics. During interviews, he admitted agreeing to transport the cocaine in exchange for a payment of €4,500.
NCA Operations Manager Paul Orchard said organised crime groups frequently exploit legitimate commercial supply chains and corrupt drivers to move cocaine and other Class A drugs across borders. He added that the seizure prevented significant criminal profits from reaching the trafficking network behind the operation.
Border Force Assistant Director Jason Thorn described the interception as a major success against organised crime, warning that cocaine trafficking fuels violence, addiction, and serious criminality throughout the UK.
The case is the latest in a series of major cocaine seizures linked to organised trafficking routes between mainland Europe and the UK, where criminal groups continue using legitimate cargo shipments to conceal narcotics destined for British streets.
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Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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