Suspect in R200m Port Shepstone cocaine theft appears in magistrate’s court as Hawks probe continues

A 49-year-old man arrested in connection with the theft of a drug consignment from the Hawks’ Port Shepstone premises has made his first appearance in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court as investigations by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime unit continue.

Court appearance and charges

Lucas Legabe, who was arrested on 7 August 2026, appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrates’ Court on 18 August 2026 in relation to the stolen Hawks drug consignment.

“Subsequent to his arrest, he was charged and appeared in transit to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in Germiston on 11 August 2026, where he was remanded in custody. Today, 18 August 2026, Legabe made his first appearance in Port Shepstone.”

The case was postponed and Legabe’s matter was set down for a formal bail application on 8 and 9 September 2026.

Ongoing Hawks investigation

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said Legabe’s court appearance follows an intensive probe by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit. Mogale said investigations are ongoing and that police are continuing to pursue all those involved, with further arrests not ruled out.

The theft at the centre of the probe

The criminal case concerns a seizure and subsequent theft of a large cocaine consignment. In June 2021 Hawks investigators inspected a container at the CHC depot in Isipingo and discovered a total of 541kg of cocaine, later estimated to be worth R200 million. The consignment was initially suspected to be 27kg before the larger quantity was revealed.

The drugs were stolen in November 2021 when suspects entered the exhibit storage facility through its windows and removed the 541kg consignment. At the time, the site’s alarm system was not operational. A case of theft and business burglary was opened.

Madlanga Commission testimony

Testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in June 2026 included a whistleblower’s admission that they had planned and executed the theft of the 541kg consignment from the Hawks’ Port Shepstone office in 2021.

During the commission hearing, Hawks Colonel Gavin Jacob, who led the Durban serious organised crime unit, denied involvement but acknowledged administrative lapses and poor security at the facility where the drugs had been stored.

What happens next

Legabe’s bail application is due in September, and the Hawks say their probe into the theft remains active as they continue to follow lines of inquiry and consider further arrests.