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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the huge mound of waste dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a recent report which uncovered the existence of over 500 illegal sites throughout the country of England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing probes. Both men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to house around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what seems to be sorted domestic refuse, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other domestic objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tons of garbage. 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 the county of Kent.

The overall number of such major locations is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has earlier stated it does not hold information on volume for every unauthorized tip.

Most these sites are in agricultural areas, often concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Organised Operations

Authorities say a significant number are run by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by asking for far less than lawful operators to take and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, depending on the volume and type of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Preparatory efforts to remove the affected dump began in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste clearance firm has been given the job to remediate the location over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory team said that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual prosecuted at the conclusion of its current case.

She noted that these arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "pursue more leads to determine in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and we share the local outrage at this terrible act," she stated.

A cabinet minister supported the detentions, adding: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has caused considerable detriment to the ecology and distress to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is dedicated to eradicating this category of crime throughout the nation, by boosting resources to combat environmental crime, employing more staff and introducing more severe measures and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime squad and follow an earlier apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was released pending more enquiries.