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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the huge mound of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent investigation which uncovered the operation of more than 500 unlawful dumps throughout the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory body commented that the detentions were for environment-related and financial offences and were a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to contain about 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of waste is composed of what appears to be sorted residential rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unlawful sites across the country, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total number of such major locations is likely to be greater, as the environment body has previously stated it does not hold information on tonnage for every unauthorized dump.

The majority these sites are in agricultural settings, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable property.

Organized Enterprise

Authorities say numerous are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by demanding far less than lawful companies to take and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Initial work to clean up the affected dump commenced recently due to worries over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been given the contract to deal with the area over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environment division said that the authority would be seeking to claim back the clean-up costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the termination of its active inquiry.

She added that these detentions would help "move the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more avenues to determine precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal tip at this location was an shocking and calculated attack on our environment and the authorities understand the local frustration at this egregious crime," she stated.

A government minister welcomed the arrests, commenting: "The illegal tipping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and anguish to the local residents.

"The government is committed to stamping out this category of crime across the nation, by increasing resources to tackle waste crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing more severe controls and fines for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated organised crime unit and come after an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was set free awaiting additional enquiries.