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Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the enormous mound of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 illegal dumps across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment agency stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is made up of what appears to be processed household refuse, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tyres and various domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 illegal dumps across the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such larger sites is probably to be higher, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not hold records on tonnage for all illegal site.

A large proportion of sites are in rural areas, frequently concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement report a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are making money by demanding much less than licensed operators to receive and bury waste.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial efforts to clear the Kidlington location began earlier this month amid concerns over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been awarded the contract to remediate the location over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's regulatory unit commented that the body would be aiming to recover the clean-up costs under confiscation legislation from any party ultimately found guilty at the termination of its current investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "move the probe forward" and enable officials to "investigate more leads to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal tip at this location was an atrocious and intentional attack on our ecology and we understand the community's anger at this terrible crime," she said.

A cabinet official welcomed the detentions, stating: "The unauthorized tipping of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has resulted in substantial harm to the ecology and distress to the surrounding population.

"The authorities is dedicated to stamping out this category of illegal activity in the country, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, employing more officers and enacting more severe checks and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were made on Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime team and are in addition to an previous arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was let go pending further investigations.