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Two individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in connection with the enormous mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a prior report which revealed the operation of over 500 illegal sites in England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime offences and were a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be sorted household waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other household articles.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful sites across the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total amount of such bigger sites is likely to be higher, as the environmental authority has in the past acknowledged it does not possess data on volume for all unlawful tip.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Organised Activity

Authorities state a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging significantly less than lawful companies to take and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the amount and nature of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area dump commenced recently due to worries over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste clearance company has been granted the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the country's environmental crime unit said that the authority would be seeking to recover the clearance expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from any party successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She added that the recent detentions would help "move the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more leads to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized site at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities share the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A cabinet minister supported the detentions, commenting: "The unlawful dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused significant harm to the environment and anguish to the surrounding residents.

"Our administration is pledged to eliminating this type of illegal activity in the nation, by augmenting resources to address waste crime, hiring more officers and enacting tougher measures and sanctions for those who flout the law."

The detentions were carried out on Thursday by officers from a specialist serious crime squad and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was released subject to additional enquiries.