Arrests Made in Relation to Enormous Unlawful Rubbish Dump

Two individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive mound of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the existence of over 500 unlawful tips in the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment body stated that the detentions were for ecological and money laundering crimes and represented a "vital step" in active probes. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is made up of what looks to be processed domestic waste, fragmented plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other domestic objects.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is expected to be larger, as the environment agency has earlier acknowledged it does not possess records on weight for all illegal dump.

The majority these sites are in agricultural locations, typically concealed, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Enterprise

Authorities report many are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than lawful companies to take and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the Kidlington area dump commenced in recent weeks amid fears over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted clean-up firm has been granted the task to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the country's environmental crime team stated that the authority would be aiming to recover the clearance costs under confiscation acts from anyone found guilty at the end of its current case.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the investigation forward" and allow officials to "investigate more leads to ascertain in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated assault on our environment and we understand the local frustration at this egregious offence," she stated.

A government minister supported the arrests, stating: "This unlawful deposit of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the environment and distress to the nearby population.

"The administration is dedicated to stamping out this type of criminality across the nation, by increasing financing to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing stricter controls and penalties for those who break the law."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime unit and come after an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in last November. He was set free awaiting more investigations.