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Two individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the massive heap of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent investigation which uncovered the operation of more than 500 unlawful tips in England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental agency commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering offences and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is thought to house around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic waste, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, tires and assorted domestic items.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal sites in England, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such major dumps is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has previously acknowledged it does not maintain data on volume for every illegal tip.

The majority these sites are in agricultural settings, typically concealed, and on land that should be farm land.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement state many are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by asking for much less than licensed companies to receive and landfill garbage.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the amount and type of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory operations to clear the affected dump started in recent weeks amid fears over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial clean-up company has been awarded the job to handle the site over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the national environmental crime unit said that the body would be looking to recoup the clearance expenses under proceeds of crime acts from anyone prosecuted at the termination of its current case.

She further stated that the recent detentions would help "push the probe forward" and enable officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at the site was an shocking and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this terrible offence," she said.

A government official supported the actions, adding: "The unauthorized tipping of waste at this location is disgraceful and has caused considerable damage to the ecology and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our administration is committed to stamping out this category of criminality in the country, by increasing financing to combat environmental crime, recruiting more staff and introducing stricter checks and fines for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and follow an previous arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free awaiting additional inquiries.