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Two individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the massive mound of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a previous revelation which exposed the operation of over 500 unauthorized dumps in England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering offences and were a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is consists of what appears to be processed domestic refuse, fragmented plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and other household items.

It represents just a single of 517 unlawful tips throughout the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall amount of such larger dumps is probably to be greater, as the environment body has in the past stated it does not hold data on volume for every unlawful tip.

The majority these sites are in agricultural locations, typically hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Organised Activity

Authorities say many are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by demanding much less than lawful operators to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use licensed waste facilities, based on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Preparation efforts to clear the Kidlington dump commenced recently following fears over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste clearance firm has been granted the job to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the country's regulatory unit said that the body would be aiming to recover the remediation costs under proceeds of crime legislation from any party ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current investigation.

She added that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more leads to ascertain in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized site at the site was an atrocious and intentional affront on our ecology and we understand the community's frustration at this terrible crime," she said.

A government official praised the actions, commenting: "The unlawful dumping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has led to substantial harm to the environment and anguish to the surrounding population.

"The administration is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity in the nation, by augmenting financing to combat waste crime, hiring more staff and implementing stricter checks and fines for those who flout the law."

The detentions were made on Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime team and are in addition to an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was let go awaiting further investigations.