Apprehensions Executed in Link to Massive Unlawful Rubbish Dump

Two men have been detained as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of rubbish in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the huge mound of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous investigation which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities stated that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and represented a "key step" in ongoing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold about 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is made up of what seems to be treated residential refuse, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other everyday objects.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such larger locations is expected to be greater, as the environment agency has earlier acknowledged it does not hold records on tonnage for all unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside areas, typically out of sight, and on land that should be farm land.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by charging far less than lawful firms to receive and landfill waste.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the quantity and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Preparation efforts to clean up the Kidlington location commenced in recent weeks following worries over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been granted the contract to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national regulatory unit stated that the agency would be seeking to recoup the clean-up expenses under asset recovery legislation from any party found guilty at the termination of its current inquiry.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "follow more avenues to determine exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal tip at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and officials share the public's anger at this horrific crime," she said.

A senior official supported the detentions, commenting: "The unlawful deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused considerable detriment to the ecology and distress to the local residents.

"The authorities is committed to eliminating this type of criminality across the country, by augmenting financing to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more personnel and introducing more severe controls and penalties for those who flout the law."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by agents from a regional organised crime unit and come after an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was set free awaiting more inquiries.