Overview
- A Polish lorry driver, Jakub Jan Konkel, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday to 13 years and six months after admitting he smuggled roughly 90 kg of cocaine worth about £7.2 million.
- Border Force x‑ray scans at the Port of Harwich on September 5 exposed a specially adapted compartment in the trailer doors that held 90 one‑kilogram packages of cocaine among 28 pallets of genuine SKIMS clothing.
- Investigators used the vehicle’s tachograph to identify an undeclared 16‑minute stop believed to be when the drugs were loaded and recovered a mobile phone linked to the supply that had been set to auto‑wipe.
- Konkel initially denied knowledge but later pleaded guilty and told police he agreed to transport the load for €4,500, with authorities saying the seizure disrupted an organised‑crime group's logistics and removed a key enabler.
- SKIMS has publicly denied any knowledge or involvement and officials say neither the exporter nor the importer of the clothing were connected to the smuggling, underscoring reputational risks for brands that use complex freight chains.