evidence: Minister for Public Security Tiran Alles last week insisted he doesn’t give a hoot (thutuwakata gananganne neha) what the UN or any other human rights agency says about his latest "Yukthiya" operation to counter narcotics. The minister, flanked by acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, was addressing the local media last week. The Supreme Court recently found Tennekoon in violation of fundamental rights, including protection against torture. Alles says that the recent concerns expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is on the behest of a few lawyers and NGOs who had reported numerous violations of due process, excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, torture and even killings during the much-touted Yukthiya operation. Alles claims that those who criticise the Yukthiya operation are connected to drug traffickers and financial beneficiaries of drug barons. [...] The much-touted operation by Alles and Tennakoon, backed by advisors to the President who wish to portray the head of state as tough on crime in an election year, has only seized around 17 kg of heroin and 15 kg of ICE after a whole month. The Navy meanwhile has seized a sizable quantity of narcotics at sea recently which did not involve the numerous violations and excessive use of force as in the case of the operation by the police and the army.