Arrests Carried Out in Link to Enormous Unlawful Landfill

Two individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a prior report which revealed the presence of more than 500 illegal tips in England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial offences and were a "vital step" in active probes. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to hold about 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be treated residential waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene, automobile tires and other household items.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful dumps throughout England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall amount of such larger locations is likely to be greater, as the regulatory authority has previously acknowledged it does not maintain information on volume for every unlawful dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in rural areas, typically concealed, and on land that should be arable property.

Organised Enterprise

Police state a significant number are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by charging significantly less than legitimate firms to take and landfill waste.

Firms have to incur site fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial work to remove the Kidlington area dump began recently amid concerns over the risk of blaze and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been awarded the task to deal with the location over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's regulatory unit stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clearance expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"This unlawful site at this location was an appalling and calculated affront on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the community's outrage at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the detentions, adding: "The illegal tipping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable detriment to the environment and upset to the local community.

"Our authorities is pledged to eliminating this category of criminality across the country, by increasing financing to tackle illegal dumping, employing more staff and enacting stricter measures and fines for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional serious crime team and come after an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was released awaiting further investigations.