Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Marcelino Santiago, president of la Asociación Civil Amigos Vallartenses, recommended that the Navy and the Attorney General's Office (PGR) should intervene to stop the alpaqueros who sell fake silver jewelry to tourists on the beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

"Tourists buy this costume jewelry on the beach, believing that it is real, but it is often recycled silver, called pedacera. In addition to that, there is another type of jewelry coming in from Korea, alpaca, with wire annealing figured in chains or bracelets that is chrome, not silver," he said.

He continued, "It is a shame that they use the '925' stamp and tell Americans that it is genuine silver, embossed at the factory, but beyond this," he warned, "the problem is growing of overlap by various municipal and federal permit to do so in the light of day."

"This issue has much to do with the inspectors. When inspectors know the material is not real, and they allow sellers to continue offering these products as if they were silver, tourists continue to be disappointed," he said.

"When the inspectors catch them, the culprits are released. I believe that every person who walks on the beach cheating tourists should go to jail, because the sad truth is that tourists sometimes pay $300 or $400 pesos for what is actually worth only five pesos."

He also criticized some unions who retain members without looking at their performance to prevent further fraud, and warned that if any of its members were to be imprisoned the unions should not be allowed to pay their members' bail. He also indicated that those who are arrested for fraud should have to pay bail in the amount of around $20,000 pesos.