Full Breakdown
Polish Driver Sentenced for Smuggling £7m of Cocaine Hidden in Skims Lorry
5/18/2026, 10:25:37 PM
Intercepted Cocaine Haul in Skims Lorry
On 5 Sept 2025, Border Force stopped a lorry at Harwich, Essex, carrying 28 pallets of Skims clothing. Driver Jakub Jan Konkel had a hidden compartment in the rear doors containing 90 kg of cocaine, valued at about £7 million. He was later sentenced to 13 years 6 months at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Background & Context
Organised crime groups often conceal Class A drugs in legitimate freight, using corrupt drivers to transport shipments that appear normal. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has highlighted such tactics as a persistent threat to UK security.
Key Actors
Jakub Jan Konkel – 40-year-old Polish driver; National Crime Agency (NCA); Border Force; Paul Orchard – NCA operations manager; Jason Thorn – Border Force assistant director; Skims – Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand (unrelated to the crime).
Timeline of Interception and Sentencing
5 Sept 2025 – Lorry arrives from Hook of Holland; Border Force x-ray reveals hidden compartment. 5 Sept 2025 – Driver’s tachograph shows a 16-minute undeclared stop for loading. 18 May 2026 – Chelmsford Crown Court imposes a 13-year-6-month sentence.
Data & Statistics
Cocaine: 90 kg (?198 lb) in 90 kg packages; Street value: £7 million (one source £7.2 million); Shipment: 28 pallets of Skims clothing; Driver’s payment: €4,500 (£3,914); Sentence: 13 years 6 months; Concealed packages: 90 × 1 kg.
Impact & Significance
The seizure removed a large supply of Class A cocaine from the UK market, reducing potential street availability and depriving criminal groups of millions in profit. The case underscores the importance of border inspections in disrupting drug trafficking.
Official Statements & Responses
The NCA said the vehicle was specially adapted with a hidden compartment and that the operation removed a large cocaine shipment, depriving the criminal network of profit. Border Force highlighted the drugs’ harmful impact on communities and praised the interception as evidence of effective border security.
Criticism & Opposition
Border Force officials warned that “these drugs destroy lives and inflict misery on our communities,” emphasizing the broader social damage of drug smuggling and calling for continued vigilance against organised crime using legitimate logistics.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the cocaine’s street value (£7 million vs £7.2 million) and on the phrasing of the sentence (13 years 6 months vs 13-and-a-half years). No information was released about the exporter or importer of the Skims goods, leaving a gap in the commercial investigation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The truck had been specially adapted and a hide constructed in the skin of the rear trailer doors.” — National Crime Agency (NCA)
- “NCA operations manager Paul Orchard said: “Organised crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to move class A drugs often hidden on entirely legitimate loads such as this.” — Paul Orchard, NCA operations manager
- “ Border Force assistant director Jason Thorn said: “These drugs destroy lives and inflict misery on our communities.” — Jason Thorn, Border Force assistant director
- “This significant interception is testament to the brilliant work of Border Force, depriving criminal networks of millions in profit.” — Jason Thorn, Border Force assistant director
