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Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge heap of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a recent report which uncovered the existence of over 500 illegal sites throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and were a "vital step" in continuing probes. The two individuals have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what seems to be treated residential rubbish, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and other household articles.

It represents just a single of 517 unlawful sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such major locations is probably to be higher, as the environment body has earlier stated it does not hold information on tonnage for each unlawful dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in rural areas, often concealed, and on land that is intended to be arable land.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making money by asking for significantly less than legitimate operators to take and dispose of waste.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the volume and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Initial efforts to clean up the Kidlington area dump began earlier this month following worries over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste clearance firm has been awarded the contract to deal with the area over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national environment division commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately convicted at the end of its active inquiry.

She noted that these arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and permit authorities to "follow more avenues to understand exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at this location was an shocking and calculated attack on our natural surroundings and we empathize with the community's outrage at this horrific act," she remarked.

A senior representative praised the detentions, adding: "This unlawful dumping of waste at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the ecology and upset to the surrounding community.

"The authorities is pledged to eradicating this category of criminality throughout the country, by boosting financing to address illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and enacting tougher checks and fines for those who break the rules."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was let go subject to more enquiries.