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Two men have been taken into custody as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in association with the enormous heap of garbage tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a prior report which exposed the presence of more than 500 unauthorized tips throughout the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environmental authorities said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing probes. The two individuals have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is consists of what looks to be treated residential refuse, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other domestic items.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized tips in England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such larger dumps is probably to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously stated it does not possess records on volume for every unlawful dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Criminal Activity

Authorities say numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by demanding far less than legitimate operators to receive and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use licensed disposal sites, depending on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the affected site began recently amid worries over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted clean-up firm has been given the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government regulatory division commented that the agency would be looking to recover the clean-up funds under confiscation acts from any individual successfully found guilty at the termination of its active investigation.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more avenues to determine exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and we share the public's anger at this terrible act," she said.

A government minister welcomed the detentions, commenting: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused substantial harm to the natural world and distress to the nearby residents.

"The government is committed to eliminating this kind of illegal activity throughout the country, by augmenting financing to combat environmental crime, employing more officers and enacting tougher measures and fines for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were executed on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated organised crime unit and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was set free awaiting additional enquiries.