A Polish truck driver has been sentenced to prison after being caught smuggling cocaine worth over $8 million hidden within a shipment of Kim Kardashian’s “Skims” clothing line.
Forty-year-old Jakub Jan Konkel received a 13-year and six-month prison sentence on Monday. He had concealed a significant quantity of cocaine inside his truck, which was transporting 28 pallets of Skims apparel from the Netherlands, as reported by the National Crime Agency.
Konkel, hailing from northern Poland, was intercepted by Border Force officers at the Port of Harwich in Essex, England. His truck, laden with the celebrity-endorsed shapewear, had arrived on a ferry last September, according to the agency.
Upon conducting an X-ray of the vehicle, investigators found that Konkel had made a stop during his journey to pick up 90 packages of cocaine, weighing a total of 198 pounds. He then hid the drug packages in a specially designed compartment within the truck’s rear doors.
The estimated street value of the cocaine was approximately $8.4 million, as determined by investigators.
Authorities confirmed that the shipment of Skims clothing was legitimate, and neither the exporting nor importing parties were involved in the drug smuggling scheme.
Konkel initially denied knowing anything about the stash of cocaine, but eventually confessed to agreeing to smuggling the drugs for 4,500 Euros, or roughly $5,276.
“These drugs destroy lives and inflict misery on our communities,” Border Force Assistant Director Jason Thorn said in a statement.
“This significant interception is testament to the brilliant work of Border Force, depriving criminal networks of millions in profit,” he added.
“We continue to work round the clock to relentlessly pursue criminality, protect our borders, and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets.”
