SARS and SAPS seize 26,000 litres of ethanol in Kempton Park raid

Edits made:

• Changed phrasing to state the shipment “was estimated to have attracted about R9.1 million in duties and taxes.”
• Added year to the operation date: “Wednesday, 29 July 2026.”
• Confirmed volume and monetary figures to match the IOL source: “26,000 litres” and “about R9.1 million”.
• Adjusted wording and clarified sentences to mirror the IOL report while keeping original draft tone and structure.

Johannesburg A joint operation by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) uncovered 26,000 litres of high-strength ethanol at an unlicensed warehouse in Kempton Park. The shipment was estimated to have attracted about R9.1 million in duties and taxes, the revenue service said.

How the shipment was uncovered

SARS said the operation took place on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, when officials working with the SAPS Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Serious Commercial Crime Investigations located a consignment of imported ethanol with an alcohol content of approximately 96%. The consignment had been declared in transit to another country further north in Africa but was discovered offloaded at an unlicensed and unregistered facility in Kempton Park.

What authorities found at the site

At the facility the ethanol was being transferred into 1,000-litre flow-bins. SARS said the seized consignment was one of four identified shipments. Officials also found several other flow-bins and storage tanks whose contents still needed to be tested; those containers were suspected to contain a further 28,000 litres of ethanol.

Value and duty

The revenue service described the ethanol as a base product used in the production of liquor products. SARS said the product would generally attract a duty rate of R302.84 per litre on the legitimate market and that the shipment was estimated to have attracted about R9.1 million in duties and taxes.

Response and enforcement focus

SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu framed the operation as evidence of the role of intelligence-led enforcement in tackling illicit economic activity. He warned those involved in customs fraud and excise-duty evasion that enforcement would continue.

“This initiative also aligns with SARS’s strategic goal of making non-compliance hard and costly through intelligence-led interventions aimed at customs fraud, excise-duty evasion, smuggling, and illegal trade,” Makhubu said.

Makhubu said the illicit alcohol trade affected the country’s revenue base, undermined legitimate businesses and benefited criminal networks operating outside the law. He said coordinated action between SARS, SAPS and other government partners was critical in disrupting illegal trade networks.

Next steps

SARS said the contents of the additional storage containers still needed testing and that authorities would continue to strengthen intelligence, customs and investigative capabilities to detect diversion schemes and disrupt illicit trade. The revenue service warned those involved in illicit economic activity that enforcement operations would continue.