The Municipality of Ciudad del Este, in the department of Alto Paraná, ordered on Wednesday the preventive closure for three days of an electronics store located in the city's downtown area, following an accumulation of complaints over alleged fraud against Brazilian tourists.
The measure was carried out by the Directorate of Consumer Protection and User Defense, in compliance with Official Letter No. 114, issued by the Second Chamber of the Municipal Offenses Court. The establishment belongs to the firm JMC Emprendimientos S.A., which operates commercially under the name J.M. Electrónicos, located on Pa'i Pérez Street, near Carlos Antonio López, one of the busiest commercial zones in the capital of Alto Paraná.
The decision was made after municipal authorities detected a pattern of recurring complaints linked to alleged fraudulent practices that reportedly caused significant economic harm to foreign visitors. One of the most serious cases resulted in a criminal investigation conducted by Penal Unit No. 6 of the Public Prosecutor's Office. Within the scope of that case, the Prosecutor's Office filed Indictment Record No. 69 against Germán Caballero Núñez, a salesperson at the establishment, for the alleged commission of the crime of fraud.
According to the complaint, two Brazilian tourists made an electronic transfer through the Pix system in the amount of 97,487 reais (approximately G. 117 million) to purchase merchandise. However, they stated they received only 30% of the purchased goods, while the remaining 70% were never shipped to the city of Sergipe, in Brazil, as agreed.
While this investigation was still underway, a new complaint was filed on June 6 with the Directorate of Consumer Protection. On this occasion, another Brazilian citizen reported being the victim of an alleged fraud in the amount of 22,500 reais (approximately G. 27 million) at the same commercial establishment.
The recurrence of complaints was considered decisive for the adoption of urgent measures by the municipal administration. The municipality stated that the preventive closure seeks to prevent the continuation of practices that could affect new buyers and, at the same time, preserve Ciudad del Este's image as a key commercial destination for thousands of tourists who arrive daily from Brazil and other countries in the region.
The measure is based on the provisions of Law No. 1334/98 on Consumer and User Protection and Law No. 3966/10 on Municipal Organic Law, regulations that authorize local authorities to intervene in situations that may pose risks to consumers or affect the public interest.