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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous pile of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous revelation which uncovered the presence of over 500 unlawful sites throughout the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial crimes and were a "crucial step" in active investigations. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Size of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is consists of what seems to be treated domestic waste, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and other everyday objects.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

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

The majority such locations are in rural locations, typically hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Authorities say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by asking for far less than legitimate firms to accept and bury garbage.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use licensed waste facilities, based on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Anger

Preparatory operations to clear the affected dump started in recent weeks due to worries over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been granted the task to handle the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government environment division said that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under confiscation legislation from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She added that this week's apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more leads to understand exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This illegal site at this location was an shocking and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities understand the local outrage at this horrific offence," she stated.

A government official supported the detentions, stating: "The illegal deposit of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to considerable detriment to the environment and distress to the local population.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this kind of crime across the nation, by augmenting resources to combat illegal dumping, hiring more staff and introducing stricter controls and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional organised crime squad and come after an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was let go subject to further investigations.