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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the enormous pile of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a prior report which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what seems to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various domestic articles.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized tips throughout England, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger sites is expected to be greater, as the regulatory authority has previously indicated it does not hold records on weight for each unlawful dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural locations, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm land.

Criminal Activity

Authorities say a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are making profit by demanding much less than licensed firms to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use licensed landfill sites, based on the amount and type of refuse they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Initial work to remove the Kidlington area location started recently amid fears over the threat of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private waste clearance company has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's regulatory unit said that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery acts from any individual prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful site at this location was an shocking and intentional assault on our ecology and officials share the community's outrage at this horrific offence," she stated.

A government representative praised the detentions, adding: "The illegal dumping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the natural world and upset to the nearby residents.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this type of criminality in the nation, by augmenting resources to address environmental crime, hiring more personnel and implementing tougher measures and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by officers from a dedicated organised crime squad and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was released subject to further inquiries.