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Two men have been detained as an element of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough in association with the massive pile of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent report which exposed the presence of more than 500 unlawful tips in England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental authorities stated that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering violations and were a "vital step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is consists of what seems to be sorted residential refuse, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household articles.

It is just one of 517 illegal sites across England, at least 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of waste. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall figure of such major sites is probably to be higher, as the environmental body has previously stated it does not possess records on volume for all unauthorized dump.

Most such locations are in agricultural locations, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Criminal Activity

Police report numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are making profit by asking for much less than legitimate companies to take and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the amount and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory efforts to remove the affected site began in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been awarded the contract to handle the area over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national environment unit stated that the authority would be aiming to recoup the remediation funds under asset recovery laws from any party successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and permit officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to determine precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unlawful dump at Kidlington was an shocking and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities share the local frustration at this horrific act," she remarked.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, stating: "This illegal deposit of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the natural world and distress to the nearby residents.

"The authorities is committed to eradicating this type of illegal activity throughout the country, by augmenting funds to tackle environmental crime, hiring more personnel and introducing tougher controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The arrests were carried out on Thursday by officers from a regional serious crime team and follow an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was let go awaiting more investigations.