Truck Driver Sentenced for Attempting Major Cocaine Smuggling into England

A 40-year-old truck driver named Jakub Jan Konkel was sentenced to 13½ years in prison by a U.K. court after attempting to smuggle cocaine worth nearly $10 million into England. Konkel’s method involved concealing the drugs within a shipment of clothing from Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand.

Konkel drove a specially modified vehicle from the Netherlands to Essex in September, carrying approximately 200 lbs. of cocaine. The narcotics were packaged in 2.2 lb. increments, which were hidden inside a compartment within the truck’s rear doors.

Authorities reported that Konkel, who is Polish, was compensated $5,243 for transporting the illicit cargo. His vehicle was intercepted by border officials at a port northeast of London after arriving via a ferry from the Hook of Holland. A detailed X-ray of the truck revealed the contraband.

Investigators discovered evidence of a 16-minute stop, recorded on Konkel’s tachograph, which he failed to disclose during questioning by law enforcement. This stop is believed to have been when the drugs were loaded onto his truck.

The U.K.’s National Crime Agency confirmed that the companies involved in the import and export of the clothing were not complicit in the smuggling effort. The shipment itself was legitimate.

Skims, co-founded by Kim Kardashian in 2019, has grown to a significant value, estimated at $5 billion. According to Forbes, Kardashian’s personal net worth approaches $2 billion.