THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu yesterday opened the remaining 11 cargo containers and these contained ceramic tiles, as declared by the consignees.

Of the 75 cargo containers that were issued alert orders, one is missing, 60 contained tiles, while the rest contained smuggled rice.

Wivina Pumatong, Port of Cebu officer-in-charge district collector, said they are investigating personnel from the Cebu Port Authority, BOC and the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp. for the missing cargo container.

She also said that the consignees will have to pay the correct duties and taxes for the 60 containers of ceramic tiles, but the rice will be forfeited in favor of the government.

Meanwhile, the BOC Port of Cebu said that a total of 230 alert orders were issued against suspected smuggled goods this year.

Alexander Ong, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service supervisor in Cebu, said his office is helping BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña and Pumatong to achieve the annual collection target.

Ong said the normal process is to release imported goods in two to three days. However, if there are alert orders, the release is delayed.

“The most important thing for the commissioner and district collectors is to meet the collection target. It will foster an environment that there is rapid processing of imported goods in the bureau,” Ong said.

Another BOC official said that smuggling activities were discovered because of misunderstandings among brokers, “personeros,” importers, and other, and they end up reporting against each other.

“If key import players misunderstand each other, they will report to authorities and we have to act on the reports,” said the BOC official, who asked not to be named.