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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the massive mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions come after a previous revelation which uncovered the existence of over 500 unlawful dumps across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental agency commented that the detentions were for ecological and financial crimes and constituted a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is composed of what seems to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic items.

It is just a single of 517 unauthorized sites across the country, at least 11 of which contain over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual amount of such major locations is likely to be greater, as the environment body has earlier acknowledged it does not hold information on volume for each unlawful site.

Most sites are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be arable land.

Organised Enterprise

Police report numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than licensed companies to receive and dispose of waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial work to clear the Kidlington location began recently due to worries over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been given the task to handle the location over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the government environment team stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the remediation expenses under confiscation legislation from any party found guilty at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She noted that this week's arrests would help "drive the probe forward" and permit the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful site at the site was an shocking and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior official welcomed the actions, stating: "This unlawful dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial harm to the natural world and anguish to the nearby population.

"Our government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality throughout the UK, by boosting financing to address environmental crime, employing more personnel and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was let go awaiting further inquiries.