Police have arrested seven directors of Samina Liquor Company for allegedly producing and distributing dangerous illicit alcohol at their factory in Harare’s Arlington industrial area.
The arrests were made on Tuesday as part of a wider government crackdown on unregulated alcohol, especially homemade brews like musombodhiya and kambwa, which have become a public health concern.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests during a visit to the premises, revealing that 25 workers were also taken in for questioning.
He criticised the company for operating illegally, saying it was disturbing to see such a setup manufacturing harmful products without proper registration or oversight.
“It is quite sad to be honest, to have a company operating without being properly registered. In the process, they are manufacturing illicit brews which are being offered to Zimbabweans. These illicit brews are dangerous to the public. As we speak, the suspects are in police custody,” he said.
Nyathi also disclosed that the directors are foreign nationals, and the police are now working with other government departments to understand how the business was allowed to operate in the first place.
“The directors are foreign nationals, and we are now working with other government departments to establish how the company was operating,” he said.
The arrests come just weeks after the government introduced Statutory Instrument 62 of 2025, which outlawed the production of illicit alcohol. This includes notorious brews such as musombodhiya, often blamed for poisoning incidents.
It also follows recent court action against another group of liquor producers, the Kombucha directors, who were convicted for operating outside legal channels.
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The post 7 Foreigners Busted for Brewing Musombodhiya in Harare appeared first on iHarare News.
