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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the massive pile of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal tips in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental agency stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering violations and represented a "vital step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to contain around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is consists of what seems to be treated residential refuse, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is probably to be greater, as the environment agency has previously stated it does not hold records on weight for each unlawful dump.

Most these sites are in countryside areas, often concealed, and on land that should be arable property.

Criminal Activity

Authorities say numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating money by asking for far less than licensed operators to take and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory operations to remove the Kidlington dump began in recent weeks following worries over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste removal company has been given the task to handle the site over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government regulatory team commented that the body would be looking to claim back the clearance costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party found guilty at the end of its current inquiry.

She noted that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more avenues to ascertain exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The illegal dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate affront on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the local outrage at this horrific offence," she said.

A senior official supported the arrests, commenting: "This illegal dumping of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has led to significant damage to the ecology and anguish to the surrounding community.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this kind of criminality throughout the nation, by augmenting funds to tackle waste crime, employing more officers and enacting tougher measures and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were executed on a recent Thursday by personnel from a regional crime team and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was set free pending additional inquiries.