Metasa
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Mercury Tabacos S.A., also known as Metasa,[1] is a Paraguayan company known for the production of cigarettes.
| |
Native name | Mercury Tabacos S.A. |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public company |
| Industry | Cigarette production |
| Genre | Tobacco |
| Founded | January 28, 2004 |
| Founder | Roberto W. Escobar González |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Multinational |
| Products | Classic, Ouro Fino, Polo Club, Silver, Rainbow, Suave |
| Website | https://www.mercury.com.py/ |
History
Metasa was created on 28 January 2004 in the city of Asunción by Roberto W. Escobar González. Their headquarters are located in Ciudad del Este.[2]
Products
Metasa fabricates the following cigarette brands: Classic, Ouro Fino, Polo Club and Silver.[3] They export much of the fabricated cigarettes.[4] In the United States, the company owns the brands Rainbow and Suave.[5] They have international factories, including in the city of Alto Paraná, Brazil.[4]
Metasa buys cigarettes from Tabesa, company once owned by the president Horacio Cartes, and it was its main client from 2017 to 2021.[6]
Irregularities
In 2009, their tobacco package health warning was invalidated due administrative reasons, but the matter was solved with the change of the package pictures.[7][8]
Metasa is allegedly one of the biggest companies profting with cigarette smuggling in countries such as Brazil and Argentina.[2][4][9] Multiple cases of cigarette apprehensions have happened since Metasa creation.[10][11][12]
Metasa was tied to Rubens Catenacci,[2] convicted in 2008 for laundering money in the doleiro Alberto Youssef scheme.[13] He controlled 80% of the company's assets.[14] In 2022, Metasa was tied to the senator Erico Galeano, accused of laundering money from narcotraffic.[15] According to the Paraguayan Secretariat of Money and Goods Laundry, on 10 March 2022, Metasa received ₲ 852,537,303 as compensation for the exit of Galeano from the company. He controlled 1% of the company's assets.[16] The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor's Office accused Metasa of smuggling and money laundry.[17]
See also
References
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