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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the massive mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a previous investigation which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 illegal sites in the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory agency commented that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to hold around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is composed of what seems to be processed domestic refuse, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is expected to be greater, as the environmental authority has earlier stated it does not maintain records on weight for every illegal dump.

A large proportion of sites are in countryside locations, often hidden, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Organized Operations

Police say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging much less than licensed operators to accept and landfill waste.

Firms have to incur disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, based on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Anger

Preparatory work to remove the affected site started earlier this month following worries over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste removal firm has been granted the task to remediate the site over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime division stated that the body would be aiming to claim back the clean-up costs under confiscation laws from anyone successfully prosecuted at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what happened and who was involved".

"The unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an appalling and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the community's outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A cabinet official praised the arrests, stating: "The illegal deposit of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has led to significant harm to the ecology and distress to the nearby residents.

"The authorities is pledged to stamping out this category of criminality across the nation, by increasing funds to tackle waste crime, hiring more staff and enacting more severe controls and penalties for those who break the law."

The arrests were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist crime unit and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was set free awaiting more investigations.