Detentions Executed in Link to Massive Illegal Waste Site

Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive pile of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous investigation which revealed the operation of more than 500 unauthorized tips in the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the detentions were for ecological and money laundering crimes and constituted a "vital step" in active investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is composed of what looks to be processed household waste, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites in England, at minimum 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in 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 dumps is expected to be higher, as the regulatory authority has in the past indicated it does not hold data on weight for each unauthorized site.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organised Operations

Authorities report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to receive and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, depending on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Anger

Initial work to clear the Kidlington area dump commenced recently due to concerns over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been given the task to remediate the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the country's regulatory team said that the body would be seeking to recoup the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime acts from any party ultimately found guilty at the end of its current case.

She further stated that these apprehensions would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated attack on our environment and we share the community's frustration at this terrible crime," she said.

A government minister supported the detentions, adding: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has caused significant harm to the natural world and upset to the local population.

"The authorities is pledged to eradicating this type of criminality in the UK, by augmenting financing to combat waste crime, hiring more personnel and enacting tougher checks and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on the specified day by agents from a specialist crime team and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was released awaiting more investigations.