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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a prior revelation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency stated that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering crimes and were a "key step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house about 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of waste is composed of what seems to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other household objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual number of such larger dumps is expected to be larger, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not possess records on tonnage for each illegal tip.

A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural settings, often hidden, and on land that should be arable property.

Organized Enterprise

Police say numerous are run by organized crime groups, who are generating profit by demanding significantly less than licensed firms to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the Kidlington dump commenced earlier this month amid concerns over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government environmental crime division stated that the agency would be looking to recover the remediation costs under proceeds of crime legislation from any party ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She added that the recent apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and enable officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our ecology and we understand the local anger at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A cabinet representative supported the actions, adding: "This unlawful deposit of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has led to significant damage to the environment and distress to the surrounding residents.

"The authorities is dedicated to eradicating this category of criminality throughout the nation, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, employing more officers and enacting stricter controls and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and come after an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was let go subject to more inquiries.