đź”— Share this article Arrests Made in Connection to Supersized Illegal Landfill It is thought that approximately 21,000 tonnes of rubbish were unlawfully deposited at the Oxfordshire location. Two men have been detained as an element of an probe into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire, England. Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the huge pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire. These detentions follow a recent revelation which uncovered the existence of more than 500 unlawful sites across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tons. A official for the environmental agency commented that the arrests were for environmental and financial crimes and were a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on pre-trial release. The individuals were arrested in association with financial and environment-related offences. Magnitude of the Problem The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to hold about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high. This heap of rubbish is consists of what looks to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, tyres and various household articles. It represents just one example of 517 unlawful sites in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent. The actual amount of such major sites is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has in the past indicated it does not hold information on tonnage for all illegal tip. A large proportion of these sites are in rural areas, often out of sight, and on land that is intended to be arable property. Criminal Activity Authorities report numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for significantly less than legitimate companies to accept and landfill garbage. Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over ÂŁ126 per tonne. Local Outrage Preparation work to remove the affected location began earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway. A commercial waste removal firm has been granted the task to remediate the area over the following 12 months period at a cost of ÂŁ9.6m. An enforcement officer for the government environment team said that the authority would be aiming to recoup the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation. She added that the recent apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what occurred and who was a party to it". "The illegal tip at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional assault on our ecology and we understand the public's frustration at this terrible offence," she stated. A cabinet minister praised the detentions, commenting: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has led to considerable damage to the ecology and distress to the nearby residents. "Our authorities is committed to eradicating this type of crime across the UK, by increasing financing to tackle illegal dumping, hiring more staff and introducing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the rules." The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime unit and follow an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in last November. He was set free awaiting additional inquiries.