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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the massive mound of garbage deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions come after a previous report which exposed the operation of over 500 illegal tips throughout England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment authorities commented that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering violations and constituted a "key step" in ongoing probes. Both men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold about 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is made up of what seems to be treated household rubbish, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted household objects.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total number of such larger sites is expected to be larger, as the environmental body has in the past acknowledged it does not hold records on volume for each illegal tip.

Most such locations are in agricultural locations, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable property.

Organized Activity

Police state a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are generating money by demanding much less than legitimate firms to take and bury garbage.

Companies have to pay site fees to use licensed landfill sites, based on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Initial efforts to clear the Kidlington area site began recently amid worries over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted clean-up company has been given the contract to remediate the area over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the national environment division said that the body would be looking to recover the clean-up expenses under confiscation laws from anyone convicted at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She noted that this week's apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "follow more avenues to determine in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at the site was an appalling and intentional assault on our ecology and we understand the public's frustration at this egregious offence," she said.

A senior official praised the arrests, stating: "This unlawful dumping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has led to significant harm to the natural world and distress to the local population.

"The government is dedicated to eradicating this category of criminality in the nation, by augmenting financing to tackle illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and introducing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime team and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was let go subject to additional enquiries.