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A pair of individuals have been detained as an element of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the massive heap of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a previous report which revealed the presence of more than 500 unauthorized sites in England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory body said that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what appears to be sorted domestic refuse, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just a single of 517 illegal tips in England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger sites is likely to be greater, as the environment body has earlier indicated it does not maintain records on weight for all illegal dump.

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

Organised Activity

Law enforcement report numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by asking for significantly less than legitimate companies to receive and bury garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the amount and category of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Initial operations to clear the Kidlington dump started in recent weeks due to worries over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by highway.

A commercial clean-up company has been given the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the authority would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery laws from any party convicted at the end of its active inquiry.

She noted that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what transpired and who was involved".

"The unauthorized dump at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our environment and the authorities understand the public's outrage at this horrific act," she stated.

A senior minister welcomed the detentions, stating: "The unlawful dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has caused considerable damage to the environment and anguish to the nearby community.

"The authorities is committed to eradicating this category of criminality in the country, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, employing more staff and implementing tougher measures and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime team and come after an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free pending more investigations.