Arrests Made in Link to Massive Unlawful Waste Site
Two men have been arrested as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.
Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which revealed the operation of over 500 illegal tips across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.
A representative for the environmental body commented that the arrests were for environment-related and money laundering offences and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.
Size of the Situation
The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.
This pile of waste is made up of what appears to be sorted domestic rubbish, chopped up plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other household objects.
It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful sites in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.
The overall figure of such major locations is likely to be larger, as the environment agency has in the past acknowledged it does not maintain records on weight for all unauthorized tip.
A large proportion of these sites are in rural locations, often hidden, and on land that should be farm ground.
Organized Operations
Police say many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by charging significantly less than legitimate firms to accept and dispose of garbage.
Firms have to incur site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the amount and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.
Public Outrage
Preparatory efforts to clear the Kidlington area location began recently following fears over the threat of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.
A private waste clearance firm has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.
An compliance official for the country's environmental crime unit said that the body would be seeking to claim back the clearance expenses under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current inquiry.
She further stated that the recent detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what happened and who was implicated".
"This illegal dump at the site was an shocking and calculated attack on our environment and we understand the local anger at this egregious crime," she said.
A senior official praised the detentions, adding: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at this location is appalling and has led to substantial harm to the ecology and anguish to the nearby population.
"Our authorities is pledged to eliminating this category of crime across the country, by increasing resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more personnel and enacting stricter controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."
The arrests were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional organised crime unit and come after an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was let go awaiting additional enquiries.