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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous mound of garbage tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent revelation which revealed the presence of more than 500 unlawful dumps across England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment body said that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering crimes and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic refuse, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, tyres and various everyday items.

It is just one of 517 illegal tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger dumps is likely to be larger, as the regulatory authority has previously indicated it does not possess information on volume for every unlawful dump.

Most sites are in rural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as arable ground.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to accept and landfill waste.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Anger

Initial work to clean up the affected site commenced recently amid fears over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A commercial waste clearance company has been awarded the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environment division commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the remediation costs under asset recovery acts from any individual successfully prosecuted at the end of its active case.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the public's outrage at this egregious act," she said.

A government representative praised the actions, commenting: "The illegal deposit of garbage at the site is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable harm to the ecology and upset to the local residents.

"The government is committed to stamping out this kind of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing financing to combat environmental crime, hiring more officers and implementing stricter controls and fines for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by personnel from a regional organised crime squad and come after an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was set free pending more investigations.