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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the operation of more than 500 illegal tips in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory agency said that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and represented a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to contain around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is made up of what appears to be treated domestic waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger sites is probably to be greater, as the environmental agency has previously stated it does not hold information on volume for every unlawful site.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural locations, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be arable property.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities report a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are generating profit by demanding much less than licensed operators to accept and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Initial efforts to clear the affected site commenced earlier this month amid worries over the threat of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A private clean-up company has been given the contract to handle the area over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environment division said that the authority would be aiming to recoup the remediation funds under confiscation acts from any party found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "follow more avenues to determine precisely what happened and who was involved".

"The unlawful dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate attack on our environment and officials share the community's anger at this egregious act," she stated.

A senior official praised the actions, stating: "This illegal tipping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has caused substantial harm to the natural world and anguish to the local community.

"The administration is committed to eradicating this kind of crime throughout the country, by increasing resources to address waste crime, recruiting more staff and enacting more severe checks and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were made on the specified day by agents from a dedicated crime unit and come after an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in last November. He was released pending further inquiries.