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The X-Ray Inspection Project of the Bureau of Customs turned out to
be the x-factor in the government’s fight against trafficking and
smuggling among others as it netted P1.6-billion worth of revenues
for the agency during the first eleven months of its operations.
Agency records showed that its highly touted
x-ray machines enabled authorities to seize P1.5-billion worth of
toluene, a chemical used in manufacturing “shabu” and help the
government’s campaign against piracy and pornography following the
confiscation of pornographic materials and replicating machines
amounting to P6 million.
The bureau’s X-ray project chief, Lawyer
Lourdes Mangaoang, also said that the project enabled the
interception of 35 cases of misdeclaration, with 27 already issued
with warrants of seizure and detention, aside from confiscating
P6-million worth of moonfish from Xiamen, China.
Recently, the x-rays again made it possible for
the agency to intercept P9-million worth of high-grade wires
misdeclared as construction materials that would have cost the
government of P1.5 million of unpaid taxes.
“The x-ray machines are not only a tool for
enforcement, it could also be used for assessment since the machine
can detect any discrepancies in import entries and actual content of
containers,” Mangaoang said.
The x-ray machines deployed in the country’s
ports were acquired through a government-to-government loan from
China. The Port of Manila is using five out of the 30 machines
acquired.
-- Anthony Vargas
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