Truck Carrying 90 Kg of Cocaine Hidden in Underwear Discovered
News Summary
Reviewed Edition.
- Yakub Konkel, who smuggled drugs concealed inside clothing from Kim Kardashian’s ‘Skims’ brand, was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months in prison.
- Konkel had hidden 90 kilograms of cocaine, transporting it from Belgium through the Netherlands to the UK, and was arrested on September 4 at Harwich Port.
- The judge described Konkel’s role as pivotal in a major drug trafficking operation and ordered the destruction of the truck, drugs, and mobile phones seized.
May 19, Kathmandu – A heavy goods vehicle driver caught smuggling narcotics hidden inside clothing from Kim Kardashian’s ‘Skims’ brand has received a prison sentence of 13 years and 6 months.
Forty-year-old Yakub Konkel collected drugs in Belgium, then transported them through the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. On September 4, customs officers at Harwich International Port in Essex searched his truck and discovered 90 kilograms of cocaine.
Konkel, a resident of Kartuzja in Poland, had concealed the cocaine inside ‘Skims’ brand underwear and clothing that had arrived as legitimate deliveries to the UK.
At Chelmsford Crown Court during sentencing, he became emotional. Judge Richard Wilkin described him as a willing driver who collected the drugs from an industrial area in Belgium. Konkel was paid 4,500 euros to drive the truck to a Dutch port where the drugs were loaded before the vehicle continued to the UK.
“Your role in this large-scale commercial drug operation was not minor; it was a critical one,” the judge said.
Authorities became suspicious of the cargo when they observed 28 pallets of underwear and clothing inside the truck. An X-ray scan at the port revealed the vehicle’s rear door had been specially modified to hide 90 packets of cocaine. Prosecutor Jerry Hays explained that a mobile phone used to coordinate drug supplies was found in the vehicle. The phone was set with a self-deletion feature to erase data after 18 hours.
Konkel’s lawyer, James Gray, noted that his client has admitted to the offense and behaved well in custody. Paul Orchard of the National Crime Agency commented, “Organized crime groups use corrupt drivers like Konkel to smuggle drugs concealed within legitimate goods. This action represents not only a drug seizure but also the loss of an important associate for criminal networks.”
The judge ordered the confiscation and destruction of the drugs, truck, and mobile phones. After serving his sentence, Konkel will be deported. Efforts to obtain comments from Kim Kardashian regarding the case were unsuccessful.