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Two men have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the huge heap of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a prior revelation which revealed the operation of over 500 unauthorized sites in England, featuring at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering crimes and were a "crucial step" in active probes. Both men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what looks to be treated domestic rubbish, chopped up plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and various domestic items.

It is just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall figure of such major locations is probably to be higher, as the environment authority has in the past stated it does not possess information on volume for all illegal dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organized Enterprise

Police say a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating money by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to receive and dispose of garbage.

Firms have to pay site fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the amount and type of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Initial work to remove the Kidlington site began earlier this month following concerns over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted clean-up company has been given the contract to handle the site over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environmental crime team stated that the authority would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from any party convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that these apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit officials to "investigate more avenues to ascertain precisely what happened and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized site at this location was an appalling and calculated attack on our ecology and officials empathize with the public's frustration at this terrible crime," she stated.

A senior minister supported the actions, commenting: "This unauthorized tipping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in significant damage to the environment and distress to the nearby population.

"The administration is dedicated to eliminating this type of illegal activity throughout the UK, by increasing financing to combat waste crime, employing more staff and introducing tougher controls and penalties for those who flout the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go pending further enquiries.