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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the massive heap of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which uncovered the presence of over 500 unlawful tips throughout the country of England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environment authorities stated that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to contain around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of garbage is made up of what appears to be sorted residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It is just a single of 517 illegal tips throughout England, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger locations is likely to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously stated it does not hold information on volume for every unauthorized dump.

Most these sites are in agricultural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Criminal Activity

Law enforcement say many are run by organized crime groups, who are earning cash by charging significantly less than licensed companies to accept and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the volume and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation work to clean up the Kidlington dump started recently amid worries over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been granted the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the national regulatory team said that the agency would be aiming to recover the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its active inquiry.

She further stated that these arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to determine precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The illegal dump at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our environment and we empathize with the community's anger at this terrible offence," she stated.

A government representative praised the arrests, commenting: "This unlawful deposit of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the natural world and anguish to the nearby community.

"Our administration is pledged to eradicating this kind of crime throughout the nation, by augmenting financing to combat illegal dumping, employing more staff and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were executed on the specified day by officers from a dedicated crime squad and are in addition to an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was released pending further inquiries.