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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous heap of garbage tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a previous revelation which revealed the operation of more than 500 illegal dumps throughout England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental body stated that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering offences and were a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and various household objects.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout England, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger locations is likely to be larger, as the environmental agency has previously stated it does not possess records on weight for each unlawful tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside locations, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.

Organized Activity

Police report numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging much less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of waste.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Preparatory operations to remove the Kidlington dump began in recent weeks due to concerns over the potential of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private clean-up firm has been given the contract to deal with the area over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the country's regulatory unit stated that the body would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under asset recovery laws from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its active case.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and intentional assault on our environment and officials empathize with the public's anger at this egregious crime," she stated.

A cabinet official welcomed the arrests, stating: "This unlawful dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the environment and anguish to the local residents.

"The government is committed to eradicating this type of criminality throughout the country, by boosting funds to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was let go awaiting further enquiries.