🔗 Share this article Arrests Carried Out in Connection to Supersized Unauthorized Rubbish Dump It is believed that around 21,000 tons of waste were unlawfully dumped at the Oxfordshire location. Two men have been detained as an element of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire. Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the massive heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington. These apprehensions follow a recent revelation which exposed the operation of over 500 illegal sites in the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tons. A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the arrests were for ecological and financial offences and represented a "key step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been released on conditional release. The individuals were apprehended in relation with money-laundering and environment-related offences. Size of the Issue The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to contain about 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height. This heap of waste is composed of what looks to be sorted domestic rubbish, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted domestic objects. It is just one of 517 unlawful dumps across England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. 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 the county of Kent. The overall figure of such larger dumps is likely to be higher, as the environment authority has earlier acknowledged it does not possess data on volume for all unauthorized site. Most these sites are in rural areas, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm property. Criminal Activity Law enforcement report a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by demanding far less than licensed operators to take and bury rubbish. Firms have to incur gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne. Public Anger Preparation work to remove the Kidlington area site commenced recently due to worries over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road. A contracted clean-up contractor has been awarded the job to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m. An investigations manager for the country's regulatory unit said that the agency would be looking to claim back the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party successfully convicted at the end of its current investigation. She noted that these detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what happened and who was involved". "The unlawful tip at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our ecology and we understand the public's anger at this egregious crime," she stated. A senior official praised the arrests, stating: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the environment and anguish to the local community. "Our administration is dedicated to eradicating this type of illegal activity in the country, by augmenting financing to combat environmental crime, hiring more officers and enacting stricter controls and sanctions for those who violate the rules." The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated organised crime squad and come after an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in November. He was released subject to further inquiries.