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Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in association with the huge pile of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory body said that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering violations and represented a "vital step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of garbage is made up of what looks to be treated domestic rubbish, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various everyday objects.

It represents just one of 517 illegal dumps throughout England, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such larger sites is likely to be larger, as the environmental body has previously acknowledged it does not possess data on weight for all unauthorized site.

The majority sites are in rural locations, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are earning cash by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to receive and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, contingent on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Initial operations to remove the affected site commenced earlier this month due to concerns over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A contracted waste clearance firm has been awarded the contract to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environment team commented that the authority would be seeking to claim back the remediation expenses under asset recovery laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She added that these arrests would help "move the probe forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what happened and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at the site was an shocking and intentional assault on our environment and officials share the local anger at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the actions, adding: "This unlawful dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has resulted in significant harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eliminating this type of criminality throughout the UK, by increasing funds to address environmental crime, hiring more personnel and implementing stricter controls and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in November. He was let go subject to additional enquiries.