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Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the tipping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a prior investigation which uncovered the presence of over 500 illegal tips in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is made up of what appears to be treated residential waste, shredded plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic items.

It is just one example of 517 illegal sites across the country, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total figure of such major locations is probably to be higher, as the environmental authority has earlier acknowledged it does not hold data on weight for each illegal tip.

Most such locations are in rural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Organized Activity

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by charging far less than licensed companies to take and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to incur disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington area site commenced recently following worries over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste removal contractor has been given the contract to deal with the site over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the national environmental crime team commented that the authority would be aiming to recoup the clearance funds under confiscation laws from any party ultimately found guilty at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She added that these arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional affront on our environment and we empathize with the public's outrage at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the detentions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has caused considerable damage to the environment and anguish to the local residents.

"Our authorities is committed to stamping out this type of illegal activity in the nation, by increasing funds to combat environmental crime, hiring more officers and enacting tougher checks and sanctions for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime unit and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was let go subject to more investigations.