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Two individuals have been detained as part of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the massive pile of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 unlawful tips across the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to house about 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what seems to be sorted domestic rubbish, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful dumps throughout England, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such major sites is expected to be higher, as the environment agency has previously stated it does not possess data on volume for each unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable property.

Organized Operations

Authorities state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making money by asking for far less than licensed companies to receive and landfill waste.

Companies have to incur gate fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Outrage

Preparatory work to clear the affected dump began recently following worries over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste removal company has been given the job to handle the area over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environment unit commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the clearance costs under proceeds of crime acts from any party ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow officials to "investigate more leads to determine precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized dump at the site was an appalling and calculated assault on our environment and officials empathize with the local frustration at this terrible act," she remarked.

A senior official praised the arrests, commenting: "The illegal tipping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has led to considerable harm to the natural world and upset to the surrounding community.

"Our government is committed to eradicating this category of crime throughout the UK, by augmenting financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and implementing more severe checks and sanctions for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime squad and come after an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was set free awaiting further inquiries.