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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the huge mound of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful dumps in England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory body commented that the detentions were for environmental and financial violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing probes. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Size of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to hold around 21,000 tons 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 looks to be processed residential rubbish, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other everyday articles.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall amount of such major sites is likely to be greater, as the environment agency has previously indicated it does not possess data on volume for each unlawful dump.

The majority sites are in rural areas, often out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Criminal Activity

Police state many are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by demanding far less than legitimate firms to take and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Initial efforts to remove the Kidlington area dump began in recent weeks following fears over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been awarded the contract to handle the site over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government regulatory unit commented that the agency would be aiming to claim back the remediation funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual successfully convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that these apprehensions would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "pursue more leads to determine precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and intentional attack on our environment and we understand the local anger at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior minister praised the arrests, stating: "The illegal deposit of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial detriment to the natural world and distress to the local population.

"Our government is dedicated to eliminating this category of illegal activity across the nation, by boosting resources to combat environmental crime, hiring more personnel and introducing stricter measures and sanctions for those who violate the rules."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional organised crime team and are in addition to an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was set free subject to more enquiries.