Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand just played an unexpected role in putting a drug trafficker behind bars. A cocaine smuggler in England is now serving 13 and a half years after authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of narcotics hidden inside a truck carrying SKIMS clothing. The unlikely bust happened last September and ended with a guilty plea this week.
A truck driver named Jakub Jan Konkel boarded a ferry in the Netherlands last September. His destination was England. Inside his trailer sat 28 pallets of SKIMS clothing, perfectly legitimate merchandise. But border patrol officers decided to x-ray the vehicle. That’s when they found 90 packages tucked inside the rear trailer doors. Each package contained 2.2 pounds of cocaine. The total street value? Roughly $9.5 million.
Konkel first claimed he knew nothing about the drugs. That story didn’t last. He eventually confessed to agreeing to smuggle the cocaine in exchange for just $5,300. A small payout for a life-changing risk. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, and the court handed down a sentence of 13 years and six months.
Kim Kardashian has spent years advocating for criminal justice reform. Her SKIMS line, known for shapewear and loungewear, became an unlikely tool in law enforcement’s arsenal. The irony isn’t lost on anyone. A brand built on comfort helped send a smuggler away for more than a decade.
