THE Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) is relying on its x-ray inspection project (XIP) to help deter smuggling as well as increase revenue collections.
The XIP unit is eyeing to duplicate, if not surpass, the amount of seizures made in the first seven months of the year.
From January to July, XIP seized P46.2 million worth of smuggled goods, according to a report prepared by XIP chief Lourdes Mangaoang.
Hand guns and accessories, motor vehicles, and 716 boxes of personal effects were among those confiscated.
“Just for the month of July, we apprehended big shipments of onions, chemical products, and five motor vehicles,” Mangaoang said in the report.
“About P4.35 million in additional revenues were also collected from confiscated 50 cartons of plastic spouts, four sets of machinery equipment and a crate power supply last May,” she added.
At the Port of Davao, 2,864 bags of onions from China were seized after they were misdeclared as fresh garlic. At the Port of Cebu, the BOC seized shipments of an Isuzu Elf, Mitsubishi Pajero and three Honda Fit worth P1.04 million.
BOC operates 30 non-intrusive container x-ray machines in key ports nationwide for which it collects a $5 container security fee (CSF) for a 20-footer and a $10 CSF for a forty-footer.
In June, BOC began scanning all containers containing balikbayan (personal effects) boxes after these were allegedly used for smuggling.
Each month, around 1,000 containers arrive in the country loaded with balikbayan boxes. Each container can load up to 400 boxes.
