The Relevance of International Trainings and Conferences on Non-Intrusive Inspection of Containerized Cargoes in the Development of a World-Class Customs X-ray Facility

by Renato Palgan

I have attended a number of International trainings and conferences on non-intrusive inspection of containerized cargoes sponsored by international organizations as a representative of the Bureau of Customs. In order to share the significant ideas brought out during these international gatherings, I would try to digest and summarize the relevance of non-intrusive inspection towards the creation of a World-Class Customs Container X-ray Facility.

A.     Advance Detection Equipment Training in Mumbai, India

This International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sponsored training has prescribed the ideas of setting-up of Front Line Officers (FLO) and Mobile Expert Support Team (MEST) in the country’s port of entry, which will act as preventive and advisory teams, respectively, regarding nuclear and radioactive materials.

As Front Line Officers, they are responsible for verifying the cargo, assessing the hazard and deciding the required response. It is also their duty to request for specialized technical assistance from MEST if the situation so requires. And as for the MEST, aside from providing on-site support to the FLOs, they are going to confirm the findings and to categorize the items found. They will also provide the forensic evidence management for future legal proceedings that may be instituted against the importer of radioactive materials. In addition to these concepts of FLO and MEST, state-of-the-art hand-held equipments for the detection of radioactive materials were also introduced. These equipments included portable high resolution gamma spectrometer, calibrated dose rate meter, calibrated neutron dose rate meters, kits for sample taking, isotope identifier and the GPS communication equipment.  Also, gamma rays, x-rays and portable monitors were recommended as the primary mechanism in non-intrusive inspection of container cargo as being used in all major ports around the world today.

The importance of all these equipments to the X-ray Inspection Project of the Bureau of Customs cannot be underestimated, especially in the identification of radioactive materials found inside the container van during the conduct of x-ray inspection.  The built-in Radioactive Monitoring System (RMS) of the x-ray scanners has no identification mechanism of the radioactive substance, and the use of hand-held equipments through manual scanning by the x-ray operatives, who perform the work of FLOs, is necessary. We do not have these kind of hand- held equipments in the X-ray Inspection Project as of this moment, and that’s the reason why we ask for assistance from the experts of Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, who perform the role of MEST, to provide us some of these equipments to make us at par with the rest of the modern Customs administrations.

B.       International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This 5-day conference was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with, among others, the World Customs Organization (WCO). Best country experiences among Customs administrations  in the prevention of trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials were presented based on the following area of concerns:  international instruments and their implementation, international initiatives and national efforts to establish capabilities, establishing capabilities to detect illicit trafficking, response to the detection of criminal or unauthorized movement of radioactive materials, new technologies in detection, and a host of other topics. The conference also addressed the issues that confronted the member- nations of IAEA and WCO and concluded with non-binding resolutions on how to stop trafficking after the end of the conference.

        Among the more than fifty country-papers that were presented, the topic on Megaports as experienced by Belgian Customs made me pondered for quite some time because their operational procedures in the detection of radioactive materials are similar to our own experience in the X-ray Inspection Project. The Belgian Customs make use of the portal monitors of the Megaport Initiative and the x-ray scanner to prevent nuclear smuggling on sea containers. And just like the Port of Manila and the MICP, the Port of Antwerp of Belgium, which is the world’s third biggest port, the container traffic is permanently inspected with radiation portals. If and when there is an alarm on radiation portals, secondary inspections are made by the x-ray scanner to identify the presence of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), contaminated materials, radioactive sources or nuclear smuggling. The x-ray scanner allows the comparison between the radiation alarm profile and the contents of the container. In almost all cases, alarms could be sufficiently explained using this technique. For example, if the container causes an alarm on a radiation portal and this is due to the presence of ceramics (NORM), the scan image using the x-ray scanner can clearly show this on the monitor. Moreover, Belgian Customs make use also of hand-held detection equipments to identify the radioactive materials found. Although these equipments are sparingly used in the course of their Customs work, the measurements of these equipments are still needed to make the exact identification of radioactive materials and the level of hazards they pose to Customs personnel. Comparing with the practice of the X-ray Inspection Project, perhaps the only difference in our technique is the absence on our part of the hand-held equipments in the identification of radioactive materials. Most of the time, whenever we have an alarm in the  RMS of our x-ray scanners, of which we could not identify, we refer the shipments to the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) of the ESS for clearance or secondary  inspection because it has the technical capability to perform the work. With this, a strong working relationship with the EPU and the PNRI is required to avoid delay in the processing of shipments containing radioactive substance.

C.      X-ray Image Analysis Workshop in Melbourne, Australia

Another important international training was the one held recently in Melbourne, Australia. Sponsored by the World Customs Organization and the Australian Customs, this training was the first of its kind that deals directly on the best practices in the use of x-ray scanners in container cargo inspection from among the countries In the Asia Pacific Region.

The Philippine delegation in the workshop was headed by X-ray Inspection Project Head, Atty. Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang, together with Field Officers Pedro Gutierrez and Jim Regis, X-ray Inspector John Mar Morales and this author. The Philippine experience was presented by me and Mr. Morales. An interesting observation during the workshop was that almost all participating countries use x-ray scanners in container cargo inspection and majority of them acquired their x-ray machines from Nuctech Company in China, which the Bureau of Customs had also purchased its machines through a bilateral loan agreement with the Chinese government.

The workshop concluded with some of the following important findings and recommendations:

a.)    The  risk  management for the targeting of cargo is an essential part of an effective non- intrusive inspection regime;

b.)    That participating countries are using risk-based approaches for their inspection arrangement;

c.)     That there is a need to assist  with the creation of image libraries and facilitating the better sharing of information on findings and non- intrusive inspection images and that the World Customs Organization shall facilitate these arrangements;

d.)    That the Australian Customs is presently researching the selection and training of staff for container x-ray Image analysis and is prepared to share this information with other WCO members when it is finalized; and,

e.)    That there was considerable benefit in the sharing of information among countries and encourages the WCO to consider conducting similar workshops on an ongoing basis.

By and large, all these trainings and conference that the X-ray Inspection Project has the privilege to participate in only show the importance of non-intrusive inspection on container cargoes nowadays, the shifting of focus from manual inspection to the use of state-of-the-art technology, and the continuing reexaminations of the role of Customs administration worldwide to enhance their capabilities to detect smuggling and all forms of fraud inside the container shipments. And the acquisition of the Bureau of Customs of x-ray scanners is in the right direction to be at par with the rest of modern Customs administrations.