Apprehensions Carried Out in Connection to Supersized Illegal Rubbish Dump

Two men have been taken into custody as an element of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in connection with the huge mound of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful sites across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory agency stated that the detentions were for ecological and financial crimes and were a "vital step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to house around 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is consists of what seems to be treated household refuse, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various domestic objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal dumps in England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger locations is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has earlier indicated it does not possess data on weight for all unlawful dump.

Most such locations are in agricultural areas, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement say many are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating money by demanding significantly less than licensed operators to receive and bury garbage.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed disposal sites, depending on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Initial operations to remove the affected location began recently following fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private waste clearance contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national environment team commented that the agency would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under confiscation legislation from anyone ultimately convicted at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She added that these detentions would help "move the probe forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to understand in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized site at the site was an shocking and deliberate attack on our environment and the authorities empathize with the local anger at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior official supported the actions, stating: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to significant damage to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our government is committed to eradicating this kind of criminality throughout the country, by increasing funds to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and introducing tougher controls and penalties for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by personnel from a regional organised crime unit and come after an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was set free pending additional investigations.