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Two individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the huge mound of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a previous investigation which revealed the operation of more than 500 unlawful sites across the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment agency said that the arrests were for environment-related and financial crimes and were a "key step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of waste is made up of what seems to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and other household articles.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall figure of such major dumps is expected to be higher, as the environment authority has in the past acknowledged it does not maintain information on tonnage for all illegal site.

Most sites are in agricultural locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Criminal Operations

Police state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making money by charging far less than legitimate firms to accept and landfill garbage.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington location started in recent weeks due to worries over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by highway.

A private waste removal firm has been granted the task to deal with the location over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime unit stated that the authority would be seeking to recover the clearance costs under proceeds of crime acts from anyone ultimately found guilty at the termination of its current case.

She added that these arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more leads to determine in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at this location was an appalling and deliberate assault on our ecology and officials empathize with the local frustration at this terrible act," she stated.

A senior minister welcomed the actions, adding: "The unlawful deposit of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has caused considerable damage to the environment and anguish to the nearby population.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this category of criminality throughout the country, by augmenting resources to tackle illegal dumping, employing more personnel and enacting more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The detentions were made on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was let go awaiting further enquiries.