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Two individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the huge heap of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous revelation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful dumps in England, including at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency said that the detentions were for environmental and financial violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing probes. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The illegal site in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to contain around 21,000 tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of garbage is composed of what seems to be treated residential refuse, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized dumps in the country, at minimum 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in 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 likely to be greater, as the regulatory authority has earlier stated it does not hold information on tonnage for each unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in countryside settings, often hidden, and on land that should be farm property.

Organized Activity

Police report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by asking for significantly less than lawful firms to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation efforts to remove the Kidlington area location began in recent weeks following fears over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste clearance company has been granted the job to handle the site over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the government regulatory division commented that the agency would be aiming to recoup the remediation expenses under asset recovery acts from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing case.

She added that the recent apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more avenues to determine exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal tip at this location was an appalling and deliberate attack on our ecology and we share the community's outrage at this egregious offence," she stated.

A cabinet minister supported the actions, stating: "The unauthorized tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to substantial harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding population.

"The government is committed to eradicating this category of crime in the nation, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more officers and introducing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by agents from a regional serious crime squad and come after an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in last November. He was released subject to further investigations.