Apprehensions Executed in Link to Massive Unlawful Landfill

Two men have been taken into custody as an element of an probe into the tipping of several thousand of tonnes of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the massive pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a recent revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 unlawful dumps in the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial crimes and were a "vital step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house about 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and various household objects.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful tips in England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such major dumps is probably to be higher, as the environmental body has earlier stated it does not possess information on tonnage for all unlawful dump.

Most these sites are in rural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Enterprise

Police say many are run by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for much less than legitimate operators to receive and bury rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Frustration

Preparation work to clear the affected dump started recently following fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been granted the task to handle the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory division said that the authority would be seeking to recover the clean-up funds under confiscation acts from any individual successfully convicted at the conclusion of its current case.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and allow officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what happened and who was involved".

"This unauthorized dump at this location was an appalling and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities share the community's outrage at this egregious act," she remarked.

A senior representative praised the arrests, commenting: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has caused significant detriment to the ecology and distress to the nearby population.

"The authorities is committed to stamping out this type of criminality in the nation, by increasing resources to combat waste crime, employing more staff and implementing tougher checks and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were made on Thursday by personnel from a specialist crime unit and follow an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was let go awaiting additional enquiries.