Colombo, Apr 2 (IANS): Sri Lankan authorities have publicly destroyed 769 kg of cocaine which the police seized in nationwide raids carried out during the past few years, the media reported on Tuesday.

The heroin valued at over Rs 10 billion ($57 million) was destroyed on Monday in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena in a warehouse in the outskirts of Colombo, Xinhua news agency reported.

Speaking at the event, Sirisena said this was the second time the government was publicly destroying all the drugs seized by the investigating officers in raids conducted throughout the country.

He said authorities had publicly destroyed over 900 kg of cocaine in January 2018 and that his aim was to free the future generations from drugs as Sri Lanka had become a transit hub for drug smugglers in Asia.

The President said he would soon implement the death penalty on those convicted of drug smuggling and trafficking in a large scale.