Cocaine worth £7.2m discovered hidden in truck carrying SKIMS merchandise

• UK border agents uncover cocaine cache in vehicle carrying legitimate SKIMS shipment

A Polish truck driver has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison after border officials discovered a massive haul of cocaine hidden on a commercial transport vehicle carrying merchandise for Kim Kardashian’s popular shapewear brand, SKIMS.

According to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the illicit cargo was valued at over £7.2 million, which equates to approximately $8.4 million to $9.4 million USD depending on exchange valuations, marking it as a major disruption to local organized crime distribution.

The Border Interception

The seizure took place at the Port of Harwich in Essex, England, when Border Force officers stopped a heavy goods vehicle arriving via ferry from the Hook of Holland, Netherlands.

Upon routing the vehicle through an X-ray scanner, officers discovered irregularities built into the vehicle itself. A specialized hide had been meticulously constructed inside the skin of the truck's rear trailer doors, completely independent of the actual cargo. Inside the compartment, authorities pulled out 90 individually wrapped one-kilogram packages of cocaine.

At the time of the bust, the truck was carrying 28 pallets of legitimate SKIMS underwear and clothing.

No Connection to Kim Kardashian or SKIMS

Law enforcement officials and corporate representatives have cleared the celebrity-backed apparel company of any wrongdoing, emphasizing that the brand was entirely unaware of the smuggling attempt.

“The load was entirely legitimate and neither the exporter nor importer were connected to the smuggled load,” the National Crime Agency confirmed in a formal statement.
SKIMS also addressed the incident directly in a statement released to global media outlets, completely distancing itself from the vehicle and its operator:

"SKIMS is aware of the recent news involving a shipment with our products. We want to be absolutely clear: SKIMS had no knowledge whatsoever about this criminal activity. We had no connection to the smuggling operation, the driver, or the truck.”

A 16-Minute Window

The driver, 40-year-old Jakub Jan Konkel, initially denied any involvement or knowledge of the hidden narcotics during initial police interviews.

However, investigators cracked the case using the vehicle's tachograph data, which revealed an unlogged 16-minute stop during the route from the Netherlands. Authorities believe this brief window was exactly when the crime ring loaded the cocaine packages into the modified trailer doors.

Faced with the tracking evidence, Konkel eventually pleaded guilty to drug smuggling at Chelmsford Crown Court. He confessed to authorities that he had agreed to transport the illegal substances for a promised illicit payment of €4,500 (approximately $5,200 USD).

Law Enforcement Response

NCA Operations Manager Paul Orchard noted that utilizing legitimate corporate shipping routes is a classic tactic for international drug traffickers looking to blend in with everyday supply chains.

"Organised crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to move Class A drugs often hidden on entirely legitimate loads such as this," Orchard said. "The detection and investigation have removed a significant amount of cocaine whose profits are lost to the crime group behind the smuggling attempt."

Border Force Assistant Director Jason Thorn added that the significant interception hit criminal networks directly where it hurts most: their profit margins. "We continue to work round the clock to relentlessly pursue criminality, protect our borders, and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets," Thorn stated.