Suspect in R200 million Port Shepstone cocaine heist appears in court as Hawks investigation continues
Lucas Legabe, 49, appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on August 18, 2026, in connection with the theft of a drug consignment from the Hawks’ Port Shepstone premises. Legabe was arrested on August 7, 2026, following an investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit. He had previously appeared in Germiston on August 11, 2026, and was remanded in custody before his Port Shepstone appearance. His case has been postponed to September 8 and 9, 2026, for a formal bail application. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out. The case involves the theft of 541kg of cocaine, valued at an estimated R200 million, which was stolen in November 2021 from an exhibit storage facility where the alarm system was not operational. The drugs were initially seized in June 2021. Testimony before the Madlanga Commission in June 2026 revealed a whistleblower confessed to planning and executing the theft. Hawks Colonel Gavin Jacob admitted to administrative lapses and poor security at the facility where the drugs were stored.