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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous heap of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior investigation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized tips in England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment agency said that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been set free on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is made up of what seems to be treated household refuse, fragmented plastics, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unlawful tips throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall number of such major sites is expected to be larger, as the regulatory agency has earlier acknowledged it does not hold records on weight for each unauthorized site.

Most such locations are in rural areas, often concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Organised Operations

Law enforcement state a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by demanding much less than lawful operators to take and bury waste.

Firms have to incur site fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory work to remove the affected site commenced earlier this month due to fears over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environmental crime division said that the authority would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery legislation from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more avenues to understand exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful site at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional attack on our ecology and the authorities share the local anger at this egregious offence," she said.

A government official praised the actions, adding: "The unauthorized deposit of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable harm to the environment and anguish to the local population.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this category of criminality in the UK, by boosting resources to combat illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and introducing tougher measures and fines for those who flout the law."

The detentions were made on the specified day by agents from a dedicated organised crime squad and follow an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free awaiting more enquiries.