Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company SKIMS is distancing itself from an international drug smuggling case after British authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of cocaine hidden inside a commercial clothing shipment tied to the brand.
In a statement provided to TMZ, a representative for SKIMS said the company had “no knowledge whatsoever about this criminal activity” and emphasized that the brand had “no connection to the smuggling operation, the driver, or the truck.”
The controversy surfaced after Jakub Jan Konkel, a 40-year-old truck driver from Poland, was sentenced in Chelmsford Crown Court to 13 years and six months in prison for trafficking cocaine into the United Kingdom. According to the UK’s National Crime Agency, Konkel transported 28 pallets of legitimate SKIMS merchandise from the Netherlands to England when Border Force officers intercepted the truck at the Port of Harwich in Essex. Investigators later uncovered 90 concealed packages of cocaine hidden inside a specially modified compartment near the trailer’s rear doors. Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at roughly £7 million, or about $9.4 million.
Officials also stressed there was nothing illegal about the clothing shipment itself. The National Crime Agency confirmed the SKIMS products were part of a legitimate commercial delivery and said neither the exporter nor importer associated with the shipment had any involvement in the narcotics operation.
Konkel initially denied knowing about the cocaine before later admitting he agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for approximately €4,500, or about $5,300. Investigators reportedly used tracking data from the truck to identify an undisclosed stop during the route where authorities believe the cocaine was loaded into the vehicle.
SKIMS, founded by Kardashian in 2019, has grown into one of the most recognizable celebrity-backed fashion brands in the world, expanding from shapewear into menswear, swimwear, and luxury retail partnerships.
