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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the massive mound of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous revelation which exposed the existence of more than 500 illegal sites in the country of England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment authorities said that the detentions were for ecological and financial offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to contain around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of rubbish is made up of what appears to be treated domestic waste, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household items.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized tips throughout England, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the regulatory body has earlier stated it does not maintain data on weight for every unlawful dump.

A large proportion of sites are in agricultural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Organised Enterprise

Police state numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are earning profit by charging much less than legitimate firms to take and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington site started recently following concerns over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A private clean-up contractor has been awarded the contract to remediate the area over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government regulatory team said that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under asset recovery laws from any individual convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "follow more avenues to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful tip at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional attack on our environment and we empathize with the community's outrage at this horrific crime," she stated.

A senior official praised the detentions, stating: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and distress to the local community.

"The authorities is committed to stamping out this kind of illegal activity in the UK, by increasing financing to tackle illegal dumping, recruiting more officers and enacting tougher measures and penalties for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime unit and are in addition to an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was let go pending additional inquiries.