Arrests Made in Connection to Supersized Unlawful Waste Site

Two men have been detained as a component of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive pile of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a previous revelation which exposed the presence of more than 500 unlawful dumps across the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment agency stated that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and constituted a "vital step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to contain about 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what appears to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items.

It is just a single of 517 unlawful sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 tons of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall amount of such larger locations is probably to be higher, as the regulatory authority has in the past indicated it does not maintain data on volume for all illegal tip.

A large proportion of sites are in countryside settings, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organized Enterprise

Police state numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are generating cash by asking for far less than licensed operators to accept and bury waste.

Firms have to incur site fees to use licensed landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington site began in recent weeks following worries over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government environment division commented that the body would be aiming to recover the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from anyone successfully prosecuted at the end of its current investigation.

She further stated that these apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more leads to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional assault on our environment and officials understand the community's anger at this horrific crime," she said.

A government representative welcomed the actions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the natural world and upset to the surrounding residents.

"The government is dedicated to eradicating this type of crime throughout the UK, by augmenting financing to tackle illegal dumping, employing more personnel and introducing more severe checks and fines for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime squad and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was set free awaiting more investigations.