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Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in relation with the massive pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous report which revealed the operation of more than 500 unlawful tips throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment agency stated that the arrests were for environmental and financial offences and represented a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain around 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is made up of what seems to be treated residential rubbish, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household articles.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized dumps in England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tonnes of garbage. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such larger locations is probably to be higher, as the environmental authority has earlier indicated it does not possess information on volume for all unlawful tip.

The majority sites are in agricultural settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that is intended to be arable property.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement state numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are generating money by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the amount and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Initial efforts to clean up the Kidlington dump began earlier this month following concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste clearance firm has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environmental crime unit said that the authority would be looking to claim back the clean-up expenses under confiscation laws from any party ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She added that these detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "follow more leads to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized site at this location was an atrocious and calculated assault on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the public's outrage at this horrific offence," she stated.

A senior minister supported the arrests, stating: "This illegal tipping of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has resulted in significant detriment to the ecology and distress to the nearby population.

"The administration is dedicated to eliminating this type of crime across the country, by boosting resources to combat illegal dumping, employing more staff and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an previous detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in last November. He was let go subject to further enquiries.