🔗 Share this article Arrests Made in Connection to Massive Unlawful Waste Site Authorities thought that around 21,000 tons of rubbish were wrongfully tipped at the Oxfordshire area. Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire. Law enforcement reported that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive heap of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington. These arrests come after a recent report which revealed the existence of over 500 illegal tips across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons. A spokeswoman for the regulatory authorities stated that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering violations and were a "vital step" in active investigations. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release. The suspects were apprehended in relation with financial and ecological offences. Size of the Problem The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to house around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height. This heap of waste is consists of what seems to be treated household waste, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other everyday articles. It represents just one of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent. The total amount of such larger dumps is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for each illegal dump. The majority these sites are in countryside settings, often out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural property. Criminal Activity Authorities say a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by demanding much less than licensed operators to accept and landfill waste. Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per ton. Community Outrage Preparatory operations to clean up the Kidlington area dump commenced in recent weeks due to concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road. A private clean-up contractor has been granted the contract to handle the site over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m. An investigations manager for the government environmental crime division stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under confiscation legislation from any individual ultimately convicted at the end of its active inquiry. She noted that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and permit officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was implicated". "The unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and we understand the public's anger at this terrible crime," she remarked. A senior official welcomed the detentions, adding: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in significant harm to the environment and upset to the nearby residents. "Our authorities is committed to eliminating this category of criminality throughout the UK, by boosting resources to address illegal dumping, employing more personnel and enacting stricter measures and fines for those who flout the regulations." The arrests were made on Thursday by agents from a specialist serious crime team and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go awaiting more investigations.