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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the huge mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a recent revelation which uncovered the operation of more than 500 illegal sites in the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering offences and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

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

This pile of garbage is consists of what appears to be treated domestic refuse, fragmented plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and various everyday articles.

It is just a single of 517 unlawful dumps throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such major dumps is likely to be higher, as the regulatory agency has previously acknowledged it does not maintain data on tonnage for each unlawful site.

Most such locations are in countryside areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Criminal Operations

Police report many are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by charging significantly less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to pay site fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Outrage

Preparation operations to clear the Kidlington area site commenced earlier this month following fears over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by A-road.

A commercial clean-up firm has been awarded the job to handle the area over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government regulatory unit commented that the agency would be aiming to claim back the remediation funds under asset recovery acts from any party successfully convicted at the end of its active case.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "push the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more avenues to understand in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials share the local outrage at this horrific crime," she stated.

A government representative praised the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized deposit of waste at the site is disgraceful and has caused considerable detriment to the ecology and upset to the local residents.

"The authorities is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing funds to combat illegal dumping, employing more staff and enacting stricter controls and penalties for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on Thursday by agents from a specialist crime unit and follow an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting more inquiries.