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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the enormous heap of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent investigation which revealed the operation of more than 500 illegal sites throughout England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities stated that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and were a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold about 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is composed of what looks to be processed domestic rubbish, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It is just a single of 517 illegal dumps across the country, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental agency has previously stated it does not maintain data on weight for all unlawful dump.

Most sites are in countryside settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Operations

Police say many are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by charging significantly less than licensed firms to accept and bury garbage.

Companies have to incur disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area dump began in recent weeks amid fears over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been granted the job to remediate the area over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the national environment team said that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clean-up expenses under confiscation legislation from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the end of its active inquiry.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the local anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A government official welcomed the detentions, stating: "This illegal dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has resulted in considerable harm to the natural world and anguish to the nearby residents.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this kind of illegal activity throughout the UK, by boosting funds to address environmental crime, hiring more staff and enacting more severe measures and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime unit and follow an earlier apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was released pending further investigations.