Mozambique’s Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária — AT) has seized more than 300 boxes of rum, raw materials, and industrial equipment from a building suspected of operating as an illicit distillery in the Costa do Sol neighbourhood of Maputo. The operation was carried out on Saturday, 10 October, with the support of the Mozambican Republic Police (PRM).

According to an AT statement cited by Lusa, the raid was led by Maputo city’s Tax and Customs Inspection team, in coordination with the Sealing Division.

Among the items seized were 314 boxes of white rum in 200-millilitre packaging with an alcohol content of 40%, along with 121 empty bottles and seven boxes of label rolls intended for the same beverage.

Authorities also recovered 15 boxes and 19 units of active dry yeast with alcohol, six empty 500-millilitre bottles, and five rolls of labels destined for 750-millilitre rum bottles.

Inside the building, inspectors found “two trucks fitted with tanks, machinery, and related components for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages,” the AT said, as well as various boxes of empty bottles.

The authority announced that further investigations will be conducted to identify those responsible for the establishment, clarify the intended use of the seized materials, and gather additional information about the operation.

As of the time of reporting, the AT had not disclosed the facility’s production capacity, the origin of the seized goods, or the identities of those responsible. No specific tax or customs violations associated with the activity have been detailed.

According to the authority, the operation forms part of broader efforts to strengthen enforcement and prevent irregularities, aimed at ensuring compliance with fiscal and customs obligations.