Lawmaker proposes AirTag tracking for BOC

MANILA, Philippines — To curb smuggling, Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto yesterday proposed the use of Bureau of Customs (BOC) “air tags,” an electronic tracking system, to monitor cargo.

The BOC should expand and maximize the use of tracking technology to monitor the movement of cargo ships that may be carrying smuggled sugar, onions and other agricultural products, according to Recto.

“In this age of AirTag, it will be hard for cargoes to vanish in thin air,” he said, referring to the Apple-made tracking device that can “geolocate” items to which it has been attached.

“If wallets can be detected by AirTag, how much more a shipping container as big as a house?” he added.

At present, the BOC employs an Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo or e-TRACC System, where a container is armed with a global positioning system or GPS tracker to monitor its movement from ship discharge to its intended destination.

This is also intended to prevent the container’s diversion during transit to other customs territories and facilities.

“For instance, it has been declared that a particular cargo will be used in a free port, making it untaxable, you cannot bring the cargo out of that port. Otherwise, it would be smuggling already,” Recto said.

He added that the BOC should study what tracking technologies can be used to monitor containers laden with agriculture produce from “port of origin to eventual destination here.”

The lawmaker also underscored that it would be better if this technology is synched to a mobile phone of an official of the Department of Agriculture.