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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous pile of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a recent report which uncovered the operation of over 500 unlawful sites across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and represented a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is consists of what looks to be processed residential rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal sites throughout England, at minimum 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such major sites is likely to be greater, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not maintain records on tonnage for all unauthorized site.

The majority sites are in rural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable ground.

Criminal Operations

Authorities say numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating cash by demanding significantly less than legitimate companies to receive and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial operations to clear the Kidlington dump commenced in recent weeks amid fears over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been granted the contract to deal with the location over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime division stated that the body would be seeking to recoup the remediation expenses under asset recovery legislation from any individual found guilty at the termination of its active inquiry.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at the site was an appalling and calculated assault on our environment and we understand the public's frustration at this terrible act," she said.

A government representative praised the arrests, commenting: "The illegal tipping of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has caused considerable harm to the environment and anguish to the surrounding community.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eradicating this category of crime throughout the nation, by augmenting financing to tackle environmental crime, hiring more officers and introducing tougher checks and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released pending more investigations.