Detentions Executed in Link to Supersized Unlawful Waste Site

Two men have been arrested as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

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

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent revelation which revealed the presence of over 500 illegal sites across the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment authorities said that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and constituted a "key step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what looks to be sorted residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one of 517 unlawful tips across the country, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total figure of such major dumps is likely to be larger, as the environmental agency has in the past indicated it does not possess information on volume for every unauthorized tip.

The majority such locations are in rural locations, often concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Organized Enterprise

Law enforcement say a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making money by asking for significantly less than lawful operators to accept and bury garbage.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the amount and type of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the affected dump commenced earlier this month amid worries over the potential of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been given the contract to handle the location over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's regulatory team stated that the agency would be looking to claim back the clean-up expenses under confiscation acts from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that these detentions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to understand exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our environment and the authorities empathize with the public's anger at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the detentions, commenting: "The unauthorized deposit of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable damage to the ecology and upset to the nearby population.

"Our government is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing resources to combat environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing tougher measures and penalties for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime team and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was released pending additional inquiries.