Arrests Executed in Link to Massive Illegal Waste Site

Two men have been detained as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the massive pile of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions occur a week after a previous revelation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful dumps in England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and represented a "crucial step" in continuing probes. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to contain approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of garbage is consists of what looks to be processed residential waste, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and other household items.

It is just one of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental authority has in the past indicated it does not maintain information on weight for every unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural ground.

Organised Operations

Police state numerous are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for much less than lawful firms to receive and dispose of garbage.

Firms have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the volume and type of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Outrage

Preparation efforts to clear the affected location started earlier this month following worries over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private clean-up company has been granted the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environmental crime division said that the body would be aiming to recover the clearance costs under confiscation acts from any party prosecuted at the termination of its active case.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more avenues to ascertain precisely what happened and who was implicated".

"This unlawful site at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our ecology and we understand the public's frustration at this horrific act," she stated.

A government representative praised the detentions, adding: "This unlawful dumping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable damage to the ecology and upset to the local population.

"Our administration is committed to eliminating this type of illegal activity in the country, by augmenting financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and implementing tougher measures and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional serious crime unit and come after an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was let go pending further enquiries.