The Port Shepstone Magistrates’ Court has officially granted R50,000 bail to Pretoria businessman Lucas Legabe, who is implicated in the high-profile theft of a massive cocaine consignment from a Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) storage facility in KwaZulu-Natal.
Magistrate Nonjabulo Moleele delivered the ruling on Monday afternoon, concluding that the prosecution had not sufficiently demonstrated that the accused posed a flight risk or would tamper with state witnesses if released.
The 49-year-old businessman faces severe charges including housebreaking with intent to steal, theft, and the unlawful dealing or possession of illicit drugs. The case stems back to a brazen November 2021 burglary at the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime offices in Port Shepstone, where thieves managed to breach security and make off with 541 kilograms of cocaine. The stolen narcotics, which had been seized months earlier during a raid at a container depot in Isipingo, carry an estimated street value ranging between R200 million and R216 million.
State prosecutors strongly opposed Legabe’s release during the formal bail hearing, revealing to the court that the investigation has gained significant momentum. According to the state, two individuals initially implicated alongside Legabe have now turned state witnesses and are expected to testify against him. The prosecution argued that because Legabe knows these individuals, his release could compromise the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
In response, Legabe’s legal team maintained his innocence, asserting that he has no connection to the multi-million rand heist. The defense further argued that statements obtained by police following his recent arrest in Pretoria were the result of physical coercion and assault by law enforcement officers.
While Magistrate Moleele allowed Legabe to return home pending his trial, strict conditions have been attached to his freedom. He is required to report to the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria every Monday between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Furthermore, he has been ordered to surrender all travel documents to the investigating officer and is forbidden from leaving his primary residence without prior written authorization from the state.
The disappearance of the drug haul remains a highly sensitive matter for South African law enforcement, having already triggered intense scrutiny within the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is probing institutional vulnerabilities and potential internal collusion.
The criminal case against Legabe has been officially postponed until 1 December 2026.