Eighty people, including owners and managers of companies involved in alleged illegal production and supply of alcoholic beverages, have been arrested over non-compliance with regulations, according to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB). Sixteen of them were paraded before the media on Saturday, August 8, following a crackdown on illicit alcohol production and regulatory non-compliance. Among those in custody are public servants, officials said. ALSO READ: 80 including public servants arrested in illicit alcohol crackdown RIB Spokesperson Thierry Murangira told reporters that the suspects include company owners, managers and employees responsible for production, quality control, operations and supplies across several companies. Among those in custody are three officials from Ingufu Gin Ltd, including the company owner, its quality-control officer and production manager. ALSO READ: Over 20 alcohol brands recalled, 12 companies closed as crackdown continues At Kerry Taste and Nutrition Rwanda, three people were arrested, including the operations manager, site and production manager, and supply manager. The company produces flavour products that are supplied to factories involved in production. The owner of Bio Hub was also arrested, alongside the owner of Ebenezer Company. Two officials from Sakaza Fruits were arrested, including the factory manager and production manager. At Sina Gerard Enterprise Urwibutso, the production manager of the alcoholic beverages production line was arrested. A representative of Africa Buffalo Production was also among those arrested. Two people linked to Lotas Medical Group were also arrested, including a company shareholder and another official. Investigators said the company owner also operates a pharmacy and was allegedly involved in the illegal sale of ethanol. At Piphany Company, two officials were arrested, including the manager and the officer in charge of quality control. Charges explained The arrests followed a joint operation involving RIB, police and other public institutions to assess compliance among companies involved in the production and supply of alcoholic beverages. Murangira said some of the companies were registered but were found operating in violation of various regulatory requirements. The violations included failure to use standard measures of ethanol in industrial production, operating without valid licences, using expired licences, lacking the required S-Mark certification, poor hygiene, failure to follow standard operating procedures and operating from unauthorised premises. He said a common finding across the companies was the use of substandard neutral spirit, or ethanol, and substandard flavours, which they said affected the quality of the final alcoholic producers diluted ethanol with water, added other substances and used unqualified personnel during production. Murangira described the practice as the lowering of product quality through the use of cheaper or unauthorised substances, allegedly to reduce costs and increase profits. He said some of the companies did not disclose to consumers the levels of ethanol or other substances used to make the alcoholic products. “Overall, the suspects face allegations including serving someone something that can kill or harm their life, forgery and use of forged documents, embezzlement, and non-compliance with lawful authority,” Murangira said. The suspects are currently detained at different RIB stations as investigations continue. Authorities have in recent weeks stepped up inspections, recalls and enforcement measures against manufacturers, distributors and retailers suspected of producing or selling non-compliant alcoholic products. Over 140 companies have been closed and hundreds of alcohol brands recalled since August 2. The crackdown follows growing concern over the health consequences associated with the consumption of illicit alcoholic beverages. Heath officials said more than 50 people had died since the beginning of 2026 and over 100 others had lost their sight after consuming illicit alcoholic beverages. More than 500 people had also sought medical treatment.
