MANILA - Half a million pesos worth of regulated drugs that were smuggled into the country will be destroyed, the Philippine National Police said Sunday.

The PNP said its Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) on Friday took custody of 35,343 tablets worth P534,297 from the inter-agency drug interdiction task group of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Of this total, 26,170 tablets were Diazepam (Valium) and 9,173 were Nitrazepam (Mogadon). Both have addictive properties and characteristics and considered as highly regulated drugs, the PNP said.

These were discovered through random parcel profiling and K9 sweeping operation at a cargo center in Parañaque City, according to PDEG director Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee.

The parcel was shipped by “Muztaza and Brother” from Pakistan and consigned to International Medexchange Depot Inc. of Gov Camins Ave., Zamboanga City 7000 Philippines, Lee said.

In October, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered law enforcement agencies to destroy recovered illegal drugs to be destroyed to prevent recycling and reselling.

• Duterte wants all seized shabu to be destroyed
• Duterte to law enforcers: 'Never waver' in drug war despite COVID-19

Last Thursday, he told law enforcers and prosecutors to "never waver" in the fight against the narcotics trade despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv