Detentions Carried Out in Relation to Enormous Unauthorized Landfill

Two men have been detained as part of an probe into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in relation with the enormous pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent investigation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized tips across England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory agency said that the detentions were for environment-related and financial crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in active probes. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold around 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is consists of what seems to be sorted residential rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and various domestic items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual number of such major dumps is likely to be greater, as the environment body has previously stated it does not maintain records on volume for each unlawful site.

The majority such locations are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement report many are operated by organized crime groups, who are making money by charging far less than licensed operators to take and bury waste.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Anger

Preparatory operations to remove the Kidlington site started recently following concerns over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been given the job to handle the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environmental crime division stated that the authority would be aiming to recoup the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual prosecuted at the termination of its active case.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unlawful site at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our ecology and the authorities understand the community's frustration at this horrific act," she remarked.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, adding: "The illegal deposit of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in substantial harm to the natural world and upset to the nearby population.

"The authorities is committed to eradicating this kind of criminality across the country, by augmenting resources to combat waste crime, employing more officers and introducing stricter controls and penalties for those who flout the law."

The arrests were carried out on Thursday by personnel from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was set free subject to further enquiries.