The Bureau of Customs continues to strengthen monitoring of the movement and location of containers to secure the transit of imported goods through the intensified implementation of the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo System.

BoC said that in order to ensure the safe transportation of containerized goods to their intended destination, the E-TRACC System was established through the issuance of Customs Memorandum Order 04-2020, which enables real-time monitoring of inland movements of containerized goods using an ICT-enabled system, such as the GPS-enabled tracking device. The device also features a cutting-edge alert feature that can spot tampering and diversion.

For August of this year, only five alarms were reported in the System. This indicates that there are lesser attempts in the commission of diversion and other Customs fraud and illegal activities.

The minimal number of alarms also shows that the ETRACC system is highly effective and a powerful deterrent against diversion and smuggling. The Enforcement and Security Service, as mandated under CMO 04-2020, immediately responds to any reported alarms, and conducts a necessary and appropriate investigation and enforcement actions.