
A Polish truck driver has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison in England after attempting to smuggle millions of euros of cocaine hidden among Kim Kardashian's "SKIMS" brand products.
According to British authorities, 40-year-old Jakub Jan Konkel was stopped in Essex in September last year after arriving by ferry from the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands. His lorry was carrying 28 boxes of SKIMS brand clothing and underwear.
During the X-ray inspection, officers discovered a secret compartment in the back of the truck, where 90 packages of cocaine, with a total weight of about 90 kilograms, were hidden.
Authorities estimated the drugs had a market value of over $8 million.
Investigators explained that the shipment of “SKIMS” products was completely legitimate and that neither the exporter nor the importer of the goods had any connection to criminal activity.
Initially, Konkel denied any knowledge of the drugs, but later admitted that he had agreed to transport them in exchange for a payment of 4,500 euros.
Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex found him guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced him to 13 years and 6 months in prison.
"We are destroying millions in profits for criminal networks and keeping these dangerous drugs off our streets," said Jason Thorn, assistant director of Border Force.
British authorities considered the operation a major success in the fight against international drug trafficking.