The Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) boosted its scanning rate for containerized shipments by 135% for the first seven months of the year from the same period last year.
The use of 124 x-ray machines resulted in the issuance of 93 warrants of seizure detention and the collection of P72.685 million in additional duties and taxes for January to July, BOC said in a statement.
For the same period under review, XIP scanned 244,040 containers.
In the first semester of 2019,  181,382 containers were scanned.
The increase in scanning rate is part of BOC’s thrust to strengthen border security measures and trade facilitation, while still ensuring maximum threat detection through use of advanced x-ray machines, the agency said.
The x-ray scanners help to enhance capability of BOC to detect smuggled and anti-social goods like misdeclared items, undervalued goods, undeclared goods.
They are also used to monitor the entry of narcotics in various ports nationwide, and enable the rapid and effective screening of containerized shipments with minimum interruption to the movement of goods inside the ports, said the agency.
BOC has been adding new x-ray machines to increase its capability in non-intrusive inspection of containerized shipments.
READ: BOC to purchase 50 x-ray machines worth P1.2B; BOC officially receives xray machines donated by China
Last year it said it was adding 50 new x-ray machines in various airports and seaports nationwide, including 15 fixed baggage x-ray machines, 25 hand-carried baggage x-ray machines, four mobile baggage x-ray machines, and six portal-type x-ray machines, altogether worth more than P1.2 billion.
