Arrests Made in Link to Massive Unlawful Waste Site

Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the huge mound of rubbish dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior investigation which exposed the operation of over 500 unlawful dumps across England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering violations and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. The two individuals have been set free on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

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

This heap of waste is consists of what appears to be processed domestic rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and other household objects.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is expected to be larger, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not possess information on tonnage for all unauthorized dump.

The majority sites are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that should be farm ground.

Criminal Operations

Police report numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for far less than lawful operators to take and bury garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the volume and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial operations to clean up the Kidlington location began earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the close-by highway.

A contracted waste removal firm has been awarded the job to handle the site over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environment division said that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up costs under asset recovery laws from anyone successfully found guilty at the termination of its current case.

She further stated that these detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The illegal dump at the site was an appalling and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the public's frustration at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A senior minister praised the detentions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has caused considerable harm to the ecology and distress to the surrounding residents.

"The authorities is committed to eradicating this kind of criminality throughout the country, by boosting financing to combat environmental crime, employing more personnel and introducing stricter checks and penalties for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by agents from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was set free pending further investigations.