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Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous mound of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous revelation which exposed the existence of over 500 unauthorized dumps throughout England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime offences and constituted a "key step" in active probes. The two individuals have been released on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to house around 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what appears to be sorted household rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It represents just one of 517 illegal tips across the country, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall number of such bigger locations is likely to be larger, as the environmental authority has previously stated it does not maintain records on volume for every illegal site.

The majority such locations are in countryside areas, often concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Organised Operations

Authorities report a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are making profit by charging much less than legitimate companies to accept and bury rubbish.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Preparatory operations to remove the affected location started in recent weeks due to worries over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby major road.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been awarded the contract to remediate the area over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the government environment unit stated that the agency would be looking to recover the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "investigate more leads to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal dump at this location was an atrocious and calculated affront on our ecology and we empathize with the local frustration at this terrible offence," she said.

A senior official praised the detentions, commenting: "The illegal tipping of waste at the site is appalling and has caused considerable detriment to the ecology and distress to the local residents.

"Our administration is dedicated to eliminating this type of criminality in the country, by increasing funds to tackle environmental crime, hiring more staff and enacting tougher measures and penalties for those who break the law."

The arrests were made on Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime team and follow an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey area in last November. He was let go subject to further investigations.