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Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the huge mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a prior investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps in the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment agency commented that the arrests were for environment-related and financial offences and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Size of the Problem

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain about 21,000 tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what appears to be sorted domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such larger sites is expected to be larger, as the environmental agency has previously stated it does not possess records on weight for all unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in countryside settings, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural land.

Organised Activity

Authorities report many are run by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to receive and bury garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the quantity and category of material they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Outrage

Preparatory operations to remove the affected site started earlier this month amid concerns over the threat of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been given the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environment division stated that the authority would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under asset recovery legislation from any individual found guilty at the end of its ongoing case.

She noted that these detentions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "pursue more avenues to understand precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized site at the site was an appalling and intentional assault on our environment and we empathize with the local frustration at this horrific act," she said.

A senior representative supported the actions, commenting: "This illegal tipping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable damage to the environment and upset to the local population.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this category of criminality across the nation, by increasing funds to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and introducing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were made on Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime squad and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was set free awaiting further investigations.