Rwanda Investigation Bureau: 80 Arrested for Illicit Alcohol Production

• 80 individuals, including owners and managers of companies involved in alleged illegal production and supply of alcoholic beverages, have been arrested.
• The crackdown has uncovered widespread use of substandard neutral spirit or ethanol in industrial production.
• Several companies have been found to be operating without valid licenses or with expired ones.

This practice, according to RIB Spokesperson Thierry Murangira, involves the dilution of ethanol with water and the addition of other substances, resulting in lower product quality and potentially hazardous for consumers.

A joint operation involving the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), police, and other public institutions has led to the arrest of 80 individuals, including owners and managers of companies involved in alleged illegal production and supply of alcoholic beverages. The crackdown, which began with a focus on regulatory non-compliance, has uncovered widespread use of substandard neutral spirit or ethanol in industrial production. This practice, according to RIB Spokesperson Thierry Murangira, involves the dilution of ethanol with water and the addition of other substances, resulting in lower product quality and potentially hazardous for consumers.

Among those arrested are public servants, officials said. Several companies have been found to be operating without valid licenses or with expired ones. The RIB has identified a range of regulatory breaches, including poor hygiene, failure to follow standard operating procedures, and operating from unauthorized premises. Companies such as Ingufu Gin Ltd, Kerry Taste and Nutrition Rwanda, Bio Hub, Ebenezer Company, Sakaza Fruits, Sina Gerard Enterprise Urwibutso, Africa Buffalo Production, Lotas Medical Group, and Piphany Company have been implicated in the crackdown.

The use of substandard neutral spirit or ethanol and other unauthorized substances poses significant risks to consumers. Lawyers and compliance officers should be aware that companies involved in the production and supply of alcoholic beverages may face liability exposure, particularly those found to have engaged in such practices. The RIB has identified a range of allegations against the suspects, including serving someone something that can kill or harm their life, forgery, use of forged documents, embezzlement, and non-compliance with lawful authority.

Lawyers and compliance officers should watch for potential liability exposure for companies involved in the production and supply of alcoholic beverages in Rwanda, particularly those that have been found to be using substandard neutral spirit or ethanol.

Source: Original reporting via Rwanda Investigation Bureau