More than 300,000 containers have been scanned since January this year as part of the move to further improve the services of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In a statement, the BOC said reported that it recorded a huge increase in scanned containers in May alone.
"The X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) generated an increase of 272 percent in its scanning rate for May 2021 in comparison to the same timeline of the previous year," it said Saturday, June 5.
For May 2021, the XIP was able to scan a total of 72,364 containers which is way higher than last year's 26,619 scanned containers.
According to the Customs bureau, the faster scanning of containerized shipments without compromising threat detection is a significant indication of the intensified non-intrusive inspection capabilities of the bureau through advanced x-ray machines administered by the XIP.
"The modernization of the scanning technology in the port did not only improve border security and trade facilitation, but also increase the entire port operation’s resiliency and adaptability in times of operational disruption," the bureau said.
The XIP was established to enhance the capability of the BOC in detecting smuggled and anti-social goods like misdeclared items, undervalued goods, and undeclared goods. It is also tasked 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.