Man accused of stealing R200 million cocaine from KZN Hawks facility to apply for bail
Lucas Legabe is expected to apply for bail in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court after being arrested in connection with the alleged theft of 541kg of cocaine from Hawks premises.
A 49-year-old man, Lucas Legabe, faces charges of involvement in the theft of a cocaine consignment valued at approximately R200 million from a KwaZulu-Natal Hawks facility. Legabe is set to appear in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court on September 8, 2026, to formally apply for bail following his arrest on August 7, 2026, by the Hawks' Serious Organized Crime Investigation unit.
The alleged theft pertains to a 541kg cocaine consignment that was seized in June 2021 after a container at the CHC container depot in Isipingo was inspected by Hawks investigators. Initially suspected of containing 27kg of drugs, the consignment was later discovered to be much larger. The cocaine was then transported to the Hawks' Port Shepstone offices for storage before it was stolen in a burglary in November 2021.
Legabe's case has been brought to light during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which has examined the circumstances surrounding the seizure, handling, storage, and disappearance of the cocaine. He was initially charged and appeared before the Germiston Magistrate's Court on August 11, 2026, before being transferred to KwaZulu-Natal and remanded in custody. His first appearance in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court was on August 18, 2026.
Legabe is anticipated to return to the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for the bail application. Colonel Katlego Mogale, a spokesperson for the Hawks, stated that investigations are ongoing and further arrests are a possibility.
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