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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent revelation which revealed the operation of more than 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities commented that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering crimes and were a "key step" in ongoing probes. Both men have been released on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in near Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to house approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is composed of what seems to be processed household rubbish, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday items.

It is just one of 517 unlawful dumps in the country, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The total number of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the environmental authority has in the past acknowledged it does not possess data on tonnage for all unlawful dump.

Most such locations are in rural settings, typically concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Criminal Enterprise

Authorities state many are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by demanding far less than legitimate operators to accept and bury waste.

Companies have to incur site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the volume and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington site commenced in recent weeks due to fears over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been given the job to remediate the site over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environmental crime division stated that the authority would be seeking to recover the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the end of its active case.

She added that the recent detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and enable officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she stated.

A government official supported the detentions, adding: "The unauthorized deposit of garbage at the site is utterly appalling and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and distress to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to eradicating this kind of illegal activity across the nation, by boosting resources to tackle environmental crime, employing more officers and enacting more severe controls and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on the specified day by agents from a specialist organised crime unit and follow an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was let go subject to more investigations.