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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in connection with the massive heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a previous report which uncovered the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental agency said that the arrests were for environment-related and money laundering crimes and represented a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Size of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what looks to be processed residential waste, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various everyday objects.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal tips in England, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger dumps is expected to be larger, as the environment authority has previously stated it does not maintain information on volume for every illegal site.

The majority such locations are in rural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be farm land.

Criminal Enterprise

Authorities report numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning money by asking for far less than lawful companies to take and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the volume and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Preparation efforts to clear the Kidlington site began recently amid fears over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A private clean-up company has been awarded the task to deal with the area over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the country's regulatory team said that the body would be looking to recover the remediation funds under asset recovery legislation from any individual ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She added that this week's arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more lines of inquiry to determine in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized dump at the site was an shocking and calculated assault on our environment and officials share the public's outrage at this terrible act," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the detentions, adding: "This unlawful deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to considerable damage to the environment and upset to the nearby community.

"Our administration is committed to eliminating this category of crime in the country, by augmenting resources to address illegal dumping, hiring more staff and enacting tougher measures and fines for those who violate the rules."

The arrests were executed on the specified day by officers from a specialist serious crime team and follow an previous apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was released subject to further enquiries.