Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was stopped by Border Force officers as he arrived on a ferry from the Hook of Holland, The Netherlands with 28 pallets of Skims clothing hiding cocaine
A lorry driver has been jailed for smuggling over £7m worth of cocaine concealed in a vehicle transporting a shipment of Kim Kardashian’s Skims underwear. Polish national Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was handed a 13-year and six-month sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court today (May 18), following an investigation by the National Crime Agency.
Konkel was intercepted by Border Force officers at the Port of Harwich in Essex on September 5 last year, as he arrived via ferry from the Hook of Holland, The Netherlands. His heavy goods vehicle, laden with 28 pallets of Skims clothing, was subjected to an x-ray.
The cargo was entirely legitimate and neither the exporter nor importer were linked to the smuggled haul, however, the lorry had been specially modified with a hidden compartment built into the skin of the rear trailer doors.
Within this hideaway, officers discovered 90 packages, each containing 1kg of cocaine, boasting a street value of approximately £7.2m.
Konkel’s tachograph revealed a 16-minute stop that he failed to disclose to the NCA during questioning, which is believed to be when the narcotics were loaded onto the vehicle, known only to him and the criminal group involved.
Konkel, hailing from Kartuzy in northern Poland, initially denied any knowledge of the Class A drugs, but ultimately pleaded guilty to drug smuggling, admitting he agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for a payment of 4,500 Euros.
NCA operations manager Paul Orchard stated: “Organised crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to move Class A drugs often hidden on entirely legitimate loads such as this.
“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.
“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 commented: “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.
“We continue to work round the clock to relentlessly pursue criminality, protect our borders and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets.”