Police have arrested a 49-year-old man, five years after 541kg of cocaine worth an estimated R200 million was stolen from Hawks offices in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal.
The drugs were taken from a safe used to store exhibits at the Serious Organised Crime offices in November 2021.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said Lucas Legabe was arrested in Pretoria by members of the Serious Organised Crime Unit following a lengthy investigation.
Legabe was brought to KwaZulu-Natal from Germiston and appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Madlanga Commission Examines Port Shepstone Cocaine Theft
The theft has come under renewed scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where witnesses have testified about security concerns at the premises before the cocaine disappeared.
Witnesses told the commission that the offices had been broken into several times before the theft. Problems with the building’s CCTV and alarm systems were also raised.
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The circumstances surrounding the storage of the cocaine have also come under scrutiny, including allegations that the theft could have been an inside job and questions about why the drugs were moved to Port Shepstone after being seized during a police operation at Durban harbour.
Hawks Office Security Warnings Before Cocaine Theft
Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Jakobus Prinsloo, a former member of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, told the commission that the Port Shepstone offices were highly vulnerable.
Prinsloo testified that the premises had been repeatedly broken into and were unsuitable for storing large quantities of drugs.
He said provincial leadership failed to act despite warnings and formal requests for improved security.
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“Our request for security and armed response was again sent to supply chain management and even sent to Brigadier Nyuswa. In fact, it had turned into a plea for help,” he said.
“It was very important that the DPCI office have a working alarm system linked to a security company. However, our requests were ignored. I am still unable to understand why the applications were not responded to and approved.”
Prinsloo said one of the clearest warnings came after another attempted break-in in January 2021, when he formally alerted senior officials that the office had effectively become defenceless after hours.
The Hawks said investigations into the cocaine theft are continuing and that officers are still pursuing other people who may have been involved.
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Further arrests have not been ruled out.
Legabe’s case was postponed until next month, when he is expected to apply for bail.
