Particle.news

Polish Lorry Driver Gets 13 Years and 6 Months for Smuggling 90kg of Cocaine in Skims Shipment

The case underscores how gangs exploit real shipments by hiding drugs in modified trailer doors.

Overview

  • Jakub Jan Konkel, 40, was sentenced Monday at Chelmsford Crown Court to 13 years and six months after pleading guilty.
  • Border Force stopped his HGV at the Port of Harwich on September 5 after a ferry from the Netherlands and an X-ray exposed a concealed compartment.
  • Officers found 90 one-kilogram packages of cocaine worth about £7.2 million as the truck carried 28 pallets of genuine Skims clothing unconnected to the smuggling.
  • A tachograph from the truck showed an undeclared 16-minute stop that investigators believe was when the drugs were loaded.
  • Officials said criminal groups recruit drivers for modest fees, and Konkel admitted he agreed to move the load for €4,500.