UK authorities uncovered a major cocaine smuggling operation hidden within a legitimate shipment of Skims, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand. The discovery occurred in September when border officials at a port in Essex stopped a truck driven by Jakub Jan Konkel, a 40-year-old man transporting 28 pallets of clothing from the Netherlands. Investigators found 90 kilograms of cocaine, valued at £7 million ($9.4 million), concealed in specially modified compartments within the truck’s rear doors. The drugs were wrapped in 1-kilogram packages, strategically hidden to avoid detection.

Konkel admitted to accepting €4,500 ($5,243) to transport the illicit cargo, though authorities confirmed that neither the exporter nor the importer of the Skims goods was connected to the smuggling operation. The brand’s involvement was purely coincidental, as the clothing shipment itself was legitimate. This case highlights how drug traffickers exploit commercial supply chains to move large quantities of narcotics across international borders.

In a ruling delivered at Chelmsford Crown Court, Konkel was sentenced to 13 years in prison for drug smuggling. The case was prosecuted by the National Crime Agency, which emphasized the sophistication of the concealment method while affirming that no connection existed between the criminal act and the fashion brand. Investigations continue into the network behind the operation.