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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of many thousands of tons of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the huge mound of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a recent investigation which revealed the operation of more than 500 unlawful sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory authorities stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and financial violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Size of the Situation

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

This mound of garbage is consists of what seems to be processed domestic refuse, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted everyday articles.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful dumps across England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such major locations is likely to be larger, as the regulatory body has earlier acknowledged it does not possess records on tonnage for every unauthorized tip.

Most such locations are in countryside areas, often out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement say numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for much less than licensed firms to receive and landfill garbage.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the quantity and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area dump began recently amid worries over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste removal firm has been granted the job to handle the area over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environment division commented that the authority would be looking to recoup the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She added that these arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "follow more leads to understand exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"The illegal site at the site was an shocking and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and we understand the community's outrage at this horrific crime," she stated.

A cabinet official welcomed the detentions, commenting: "This unlawful dumping of garbage at the site is appalling and has led to significant harm to the natural world and anguish to the local population.

"Our government is committed to stamping out this kind of illegal activity throughout the UK, by boosting funds to combat waste crime, hiring more personnel and introducing tougher controls and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were made on Thursday by officers from a dedicated organised crime team and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was released pending further inquiries.