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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in association with the enormous pile of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a prior investigation which revealed the presence of more than 500 illegal dumps in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and constituted a "vital step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to house about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of waste is consists of what looks to be sorted residential rubbish, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tires and other everyday objects.

It is just one example of 517 illegal tips in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the regulatory agency has in the past stated it does not hold records on volume for each unauthorized tip.

Most sites are in agricultural settings, often out of sight, and on land that should be farm property.

Organized Activity

Authorities state numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by charging much less than lawful companies to receive and bury garbage.

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

Public Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the affected site started in recent weeks following worries over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste removal company has been granted the job to remediate the location over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environment unit stated that the authority would be looking to claim back the clearance expenses under asset recovery acts from any party successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow officials to "investigate more avenues to determine precisely what happened and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized dump at this location was an atrocious and intentional affront on our ecology and we share the public's anger at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet official welcomed the actions, adding: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and anguish to the nearby community.

"The authorities is committed to eliminating this category of illegal activity across the country, by boosting funds to address environmental crime, hiring more officers and implementing stricter measures and penalties for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime unit and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was let go awaiting further investigations.