A truck driver has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after he was caught smuggling more than $9 million worth of cocaine, which was hidden inside a shipment carrying Kim Kardashian’s Skims underwear and clothing.
Jakub Jan Konkel, a Polish national, found out his fate on Monday, May 18, after an investigation was launched by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), according to an official press release from the agency.
Authorities said Konkel, 40, was stopped by Border Force officers on September 5, 2025, at the Port of Harwich in Essex after he arrived on a ferry from Hook of Holland in the Netherlands.
Konkel’s truck was carrying 28 shipments of Skims clothing at the time he was stopped. While authorities confirmed that the shipment itself was legitimate, investigators discovered that the truck was equipped with a hidden compartment built into the rear trailer doors.
Officials looked through the concealed space and found 90 packages containing approximately two pounds of cocaine each, according to the agency. The amount of cocaine has an estimated street value of $9.6 million.
The NCA also said that both the exporter and importer connected to the Skims shipment were not involved in the smuggling operation, while Skims and Kardashian, 45, have also not been accused of any wrongdoing in the situation.
A rep for Skims issued a statement on Tuesday, May 19, denying any involvement. “Skims is aware of the recent news involving a shipment with our products,” the rep told TMZ. “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.”
Leading up to the driver’s arrest, investigators looked at the truck’s tracking system, which showed a 16-minute stop that Konkel allegedly did not disclose while being interviewed by authorities. Officials believe that Konkel and the organized crime group involved were aware that the drugs were loaded onto the vehicle during that stop.
Konkel initially denied knowing the cocaine was in the truck, though he later pleaded guilty to drug smuggling. Authorities added that he admitted to agreeing to transport the drugs in the truck in exchange for 4,500 Euros, according to the NCA.
“Organised crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to move Class A drugs often hidden on entirely legitimate loads such as this,” NCA operations manager Paul Orchard said in a statement about the incident. “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.”
He added that 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.”
Border Force assistant director Jason Thorn also reflected on the incident in a statement, saying that “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,” Thorn said, per the release. “We continue to work round the clock to relentlessly pursue criminality, protect our borders and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets.”
