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Two men have been detained as an element of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive heap of rubbish deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a prior report which uncovered the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environmental body commented that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "vital step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is consists of what seems to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other household items.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized sites in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total amount of such larger sites is likely to be higher, as the environmental authority has previously stated it does not hold records on tonnage for all unlawful dump.

The majority such locations are in rural locations, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Criminal Operations

Authorities report numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging significantly less than legitimate operators to receive and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the volume and type of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Initial operations to clear the affected dump started recently due to worries over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the close-by highway.

A commercial waste removal company has been awarded the task to remediate the site over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environment team commented that the body would be looking to recoup the remediation costs under confiscation acts from any individual found guilty at the end of its ongoing case.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "move the probe forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at the site was an appalling and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities understand the public's anger at this egregious act," she stated.

A cabinet official welcomed the actions, commenting: "This illegal deposit of garbage at this location is appalling and has resulted in significant harm to the environment and anguish to the local population.

"The administration is dedicated to stamping out this type of crime in the UK, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more personnel and implementing tougher measures and sanctions for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were executed on the specified day by agents from a regional crime team and are in addition to an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was set free awaiting additional investigations.