Cases of assault and battery recorded by Rwanda National Police (RNP) fell by nearly half in the two weeks of the recall of hundreds of illicit alcoholic brands, police have said. A total of 188 cases of assault and battery were recorded between August 1 and August 12. This represents a 46 per cent decline from 345 cases recorded between July 15 and July 31. ALSO READ: Rwanda FDA boss among 18 officials arrested amid crackdown on illicit alcohol More than 140 companies producing alcoholic beverages have been closed and hundreds of alcohol brands recalled since August 2 as part of a nationwide crackdown on consumption and production of illicit alcohol. Dozens of company owners, managers and public servants have been arrested. ACP Boniface Rutikanga, RNP spokesperson, said the decline in reported assault and battery cases was one of the short-term gains of the campaign against illicit alcohol. Speaking during the public presentation of suspects at Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) headquarters in Kimihurura on Thursday, Rutikanga said the number of cases could fall further as the campaign to remove illicit alcohol from the market continues. ALSO READ: 78 suspects in illicit alcohol crimes head to prosecution “We are still collecting information on the long-term impact to assess the overall effect. So far, between July 15 and July 31, 345 cases related to assault and battery were recorded, but between August 1 and August 12, the cases were 188. This means they decreased by about 50 per cent within two weeks,” he said. “We expect them to decline even further, as the operation of removing illicit alcohol from the market is still ongoing.” ALSO READ: 80 including public servants, arrested in illicit alcohol crackdown Rutikanga warned people attempting to hide or distribute recalled alcoholic products. “Those who think they can sell the recalled products to people and keep it as a secret are lying to themselves,” he said. Rutikanga also warned people helping sellers hide recalled products that they could be held accountable for complicity in wrongdoing. He said some traders had handed recalled alcoholic beverages to retailers who were not previously known to sell them, hoping to avoid the ongoing seizures. “If someone agrees to help hide recalled alcoholic beverages so that a person previously known to sell them is not found with them, they will be held accountable,” he said. Rutikanga thanked members of the public for continuing to provide information to authorities, saying their cooperation had helped the enforcement campaign. He also urged institutions responsible for standards certification and inspections to follow established procedures. “We warn institutions in charge of quality standards certification and inspections to correct what was wrong and follow the rules and procedures. If there are legal loopholes, they should be corrected,” he said. He said the crackdown would also extend to other food and beverage products. “This will not end with alcoholic beverages. We will continue with other drinks and food products,” Rutikanga said. RIB warns local officials Thierry Murangira, RIB spokesperson, said investigations into the production and distribution of illicit alcohol were still ongoing. He warned public servants who may protect people involved in the production and distribution of illicit alcohol. “It is something shameful to be a local official and go and hide illicit alcohol,” he said. Health officials have said that since the beginning of 2026 more than 50 people have died after consuming illicit alcoholic beverages, while more than 100 others have lost their sight. More than 500 people have also sought medical treatment.
