The Agriculture Ministry is addressing recent claims regarding the closure of the Praedial larceny Squad’s South Office.

In a statement, it says officers attached to this Unit have been temporarily relocated in order to facilitate refurbishment works.

It adds that the relocation is part of an ongoing effort to create a state-of-the-art facility to enhance operational efficiency.

The Ministry insists as well that efforts are being made to strengthen the squad, including the issuing of tenders for the establishment of a permanent headquarters, and the arrival of five new vehicles in the next month.

Additionally, it says over 5,000 applications were recently received, with 70 candidates selected for a 12-week training exercise.

The Ministry adds that joint mobile patrols are regularly deployed, while meetings are held with the farming community to foster open dialogue, address concerns, and offer guidance.

The statement comes on the heels of criticism that efforts by the Squad were not enough to tackle the matter of praedial larceny.