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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the enormous mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior report which exposed the operation of more than 500 illegal tips across the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory authorities said that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering crimes and represented a "key step" in continuing investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of rubbish is made up of what appears to be treated residential refuse, chopped up plastics, Styrofoam, tires and various household articles.

It is just one of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall figure of such bigger sites is expected to be greater, as the environmental body has earlier acknowledged it does not hold data on tonnage for every unauthorized tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside areas, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural land.

Criminal Activity

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are generating cash by demanding significantly less than legitimate firms to accept and landfill garbage.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the volume and type of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Initial efforts to clean up the affected site started recently following worries over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been granted the job to handle the site over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national regulatory unit stated that the agency would be looking to claim back the remediation costs under confiscation acts from any party successfully convicted at the conclusion of its active case.

She added that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what transpired and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at this location was an shocking and deliberate assault on our ecology and the authorities understand the local frustration at this egregious act," she stated.

A government representative welcomed the actions, commenting: "This unlawful deposit of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has caused substantial damage to the environment and upset to the nearby community.

"The authorities is pledged to stamping out this type of illegal activity throughout the country, by increasing financing to combat waste crime, hiring more staff and implementing stricter controls and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated organised crime unit and are in addition to an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was set free awaiting additional investigations.