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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tonnes of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the massive pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous report which revealed the operation of over 500 unlawful tips across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "key step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what appears to be treated household refuse, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic items.

It is just one of 517 illegal tips in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual figure of such major locations is likely to be larger, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for each unauthorized site.

The majority these sites are in countryside areas, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Organized Enterprise

Police say numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by charging significantly less than legitimate firms to receive and bury rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Outrage

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington area site commenced earlier this month due to concerns over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A private waste removal firm has been awarded the contract to handle the area over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environmental crime unit said that the body would be looking to claim back the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its active case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "follow more avenues to determine in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our ecology and the authorities understand the community's frustration at this horrific act," she stated.

A government minister supported the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused significant harm to the natural world and anguish to the nearby community.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this category of criminality throughout the nation, by boosting financing to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more officers and implementing tougher controls and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a regional crime team and follow an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in November. He was set free awaiting further investigations.