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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the massive mound of waste dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a recent report which uncovered the presence of more than 500 illegal dumps throughout England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory body commented that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is composed of what appears to be processed residential rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and other domestic items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such bigger dumps is probably to be larger, as the environment agency has earlier stated it does not possess data on volume for every illegal tip.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Criminal Activity

Law enforcement report numerous are run by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by charging significantly less than licensed companies to take and landfill garbage.

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

Public Frustration

Preparation efforts to clean up the affected site began in recent weeks following worries over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been granted the job to handle the location over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government regulatory division said that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clean-up costs under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone successfully found guilty at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She added that these arrests would help "push the investigation forward" and allow officials to "follow more leads to ascertain precisely what happened and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated affront on our ecology and we understand the local frustration at this terrible offence," she said.

A cabinet official supported the detentions, commenting: "The unauthorized deposit of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and anguish to the local residents.

"The government is dedicated to eradicating this kind of crime in the nation, by augmenting funds to tackle waste crime, hiring more personnel and enacting more severe measures and fines for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on Thursday by agents from a regional organised crime squad and follow an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was let go subject to further inquiries.