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Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive heap of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a previous report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory authorities said that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering violations and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on pre-trial release.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of rubbish is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic rubbish, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and various everyday items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful sites in England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such larger sites is likely to be higher, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not maintain information on weight for all unauthorized tip.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside settings, typically out of sight, and on land that should be farm ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Authorities report numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by charging far less than lawful operators to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to pay site fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Preparatory efforts to remove the affected dump started recently due to worries over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A private waste clearance company has been awarded the job to handle the site over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the government environmental crime division stated that the agency would be seeking to recoup the remediation funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual ultimately found guilty at the termination of its active investigation.

She added that these apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to determine in detail what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful tip at the site was an appalling and deliberate affront on our ecology and officials understand the public's frustration at this terrible act," she stated.

A government minister praised the actions, adding: "The unauthorized dumping of garbage at this location is appalling and has caused substantial detriment to the natural world and anguish to the nearby residents.

"Our administration is pledged to stamping out this kind of criminality in the country, by augmenting funds to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and implementing more severe measures and sanctions for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional serious crime squad and follow an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was let go subject to more inquiries.