🔗 Share this article Arrests Executed in Link to Massive Unauthorized Waste Site It is estimated that around 21,000 metric tons of garbage were wrongfully tipped at the Oxfordshire county area. Two men have been arrested as part of an probe into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire. Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in connection with the huge mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire. These arrests follow a prior report which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 illegal sites throughout England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons. A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities stated that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been released on conditional release. The men were detained in relation with proceeds of crime and environmental crimes. Magnitude of the Problem The dump in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to house about 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height. This heap of rubbish is composed of what appears to be processed residential rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items. It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful tips across England, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent. The overall number of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the environment body has in the past indicated it does not maintain records on tonnage for every unlawful dump. Most such locations are in rural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be farm land. Organised Operations Law enforcement report a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are making cash by demanding much less than legitimate operators to accept and dispose of rubbish. Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne. Community Anger Initial operations to remove the affected site started recently amid concerns over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway. A private waste removal contractor has been given the job to deal with the area over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m. An enforcement officer for the country's environmental crime division said that the authority would be looking to recoup the clean-up costs under confiscation laws from anyone successfully found guilty at the end of its active inquiry. She noted that these detentions would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more avenues to determine exactly what happened and who was involved". "The illegal site at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and we share the public's anger at this terrible crime," she stated. A cabinet representative supported the arrests, stating: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has led to substantial harm to the natural world and distress to the nearby population. "The government is pledged to eradicating this kind of illegal activity throughout the nation, by augmenting funds to combat waste crime, hiring more staff and enacting stricter checks and sanctions for those who break the rules." The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist crime unit and follow an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was let go pending further investigations.