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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of thousands of tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in association with the enormous pile of waste tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous report which exposed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps across the country of England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial crimes and were a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Size of the Situation

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is believed to hold about 21,000 tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be treated domestic rubbish, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and various household items.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such bigger dumps is expected to be larger, as the environment agency has previously stated it does not possess records on tonnage for each unauthorized dump.

The majority sites are in agricultural areas, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Organized Enterprise

Law enforcement say numerous are managed by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by demanding significantly less than licensed operators to receive and landfill waste.

Companies have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the quantity and category of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington dump commenced in recent weeks due to fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste removal company has been awarded the task to deal with the area over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environmental crime division stated that the authority would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under confiscation acts from any individual successfully found guilty at the end of its ongoing case.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "follow more avenues to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful site at this location was an atrocious and calculated attack on our environment and the authorities empathize with the local outrage at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior minister supported the actions, commenting: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has led to significant detriment to the natural world and upset to the local community.

"The administration is dedicated to eliminating this kind of illegal activity throughout the nation, by increasing financing to tackle waste crime, employing more officers and introducing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional serious crime squad and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was let go pending additional investigations.