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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the huge pile of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a prior investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 unlawful sites in the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment agency commented that the detentions were for environment-related and money laundering crimes and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been set free on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic rubbish, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various everyday articles.

It is just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps in the country, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. Such sites 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 number of such major locations is expected to be higher, as the environment authority has previously indicated it does not hold records on volume for all unauthorized site.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural ground.

Organized Operations

Authorities report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making money by charging significantly less than legitimate operators to accept and landfill waste.

Firms have to pay gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the amount and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial operations to clear the Kidlington location began earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

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

An compliance officer for the country's regulatory division stated that the authority would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that these detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at the site was an appalling and deliberate attack on our environment and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this terrible offence," she said.

A senior official supported the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized deposit of waste at the site is disgraceful and has caused substantial detriment to the natural world and distress to the nearby residents.

"The authorities is committed to eliminating this kind of crime throughout the UK, by augmenting resources to tackle environmental crime, hiring more personnel and enacting tougher checks and fines for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime squad and follow an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was released awaiting additional enquiries.