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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of waste in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the massive mound of garbage dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps in the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental authorities commented that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering offences and represented a "key step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Size of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is made up of what seems to be treated household refuse, shredded plastic materials, polystyrene, tyres and assorted household objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tons of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously acknowledged it does not maintain data on tonnage for every unlawful site.

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

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement say numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by asking for much less than lawful companies to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the amount and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Preparation efforts to clean up the Kidlington area site started in recent weeks due to fears over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial waste clearance firm has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the national environmental crime team stated that the agency would be seeking to claim back the remediation funds under proceeds of crime acts from anyone ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "follow more avenues to determine precisely what happened and who was involved".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and calculated assault on our environment and the authorities share the local frustration at this horrific act," she stated.

A senior representative praised the actions, adding: "This illegal deposit of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and distress to the local residents.

"The authorities is pledged to eliminating this kind of illegal activity in the UK, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and implementing more severe checks and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by personnel from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free pending further enquiries.