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

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the huge mound of rubbish dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps throughout the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body commented that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what seems to be processed residential refuse, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and various household items.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal tips in England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual figure of such major dumps is likely to be larger, as the regulatory body has earlier stated it does not maintain records on tonnage for all unlawful site.

The majority these sites are in agricultural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that should be arable property.

Organized Operations

Police say many are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by asking for much less than legitimate companies to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Anger

Initial operations to clear the affected dump started in recent weeks following fears over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the close-by A-road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been given the job to handle the area over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national environmental crime unit commented that the authority would be aiming to recover the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from anyone successfully convicted at the termination of its active investigation.

She added that the recent apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to determine in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"This unlawful site at the site was an appalling and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the community's outrage at this horrific act," she said.

A cabinet minister praised the detentions, stating: "The illegal deposit of waste at the site is appalling and has caused significant harm to the ecology and upset to the nearby residents.

"Our authorities is pledged to stamping out this kind of illegal activity across the country, by boosting financing to address environmental crime, hiring more officers and introducing more severe measures and fines for those who break the law."

The arrests were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a specialist crime squad and follow an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was released subject to additional investigations.