A lorry driver who attempted to smuggle over £7 million worth of cocaine into the United Kingdom by concealing it inside a trailer carrying Kim Kardashian's Skims clothing has been sentenced to prison. Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was stopped by Border Force officers at Harwich port on 5 September last year after his heavy goods vehicle arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands. He received a 13-and-a-half-year sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Details of the Smuggling Operation
Investigators revealed that the vehicle was transporting 28 pallets of legitimate Skims garments. However, Konkel had diverted from his route during the journey to collect 90 kilograms of cocaine. He concealed the Class A drugs in a hidden compartment built into the rear doors of the trailer. During police questioning, Konkel admitted that he had agreed to transport the cocaine in exchange for a payment of €4,500, equivalent to approximately £3,914.
Impact on Communities
Paul Orchard, operations manager at the National Crime Agency, 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 Response
Jason Thorn, assistant director at Border Force, 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.” The load was entirely legitimate, and neither the exporter nor the importer were connected to the smuggled cocaine.
