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A pair of individuals have been detained as an element of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in connection with the huge mound of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 illegal tips in the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment agency said that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering offences and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what looks to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout England, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The overall figure of such major dumps is probably to be greater, as the environment agency has previously acknowledged it does not hold information on weight for all unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in rural settings, often out of sight, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Organized Operations

Authorities state numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are generating money by asking for much less than lawful firms to receive and dispose of waste.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the quantity and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Preparatory operations to clean up the Kidlington dump began recently following fears over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the close-by A-road.

A contracted waste removal firm has been given the contract to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the national environmental crime team commented that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clearance costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party prosecuted at the termination of its active inquiry.

She added that these apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more leads to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials share the public's frustration at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A cabinet minister praised the detentions, stating: "This illegal deposit of garbage at this location is appalling and has caused substantial detriment to the natural world and anguish to the local residents.

"Our government is pledged to eradicating this kind of illegal activity throughout the nation, by increasing resources to tackle waste crime, employing more staff and enacting more severe controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The arrests were executed on Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime unit and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting more enquiries.