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

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the massive heap of waste dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a previous investigation which revealed the existence of over 500 illegal dumps in the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment authorities stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing probes. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to house about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what appears to be sorted domestic rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal sites in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such major dumps is probably to be greater, as the regulatory body has earlier stated it does not possess records on tonnage for every illegal site.

Most such locations are in countryside locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as arable land.

Criminal Activity

Police report many are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging significantly less than lawful operators to accept and landfill waste.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the amount and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Frustration

Preparation efforts to remove the affected dump commenced earlier this month due to concerns over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

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

An compliance officer for the national environmental crime division stated that the agency would be aiming to recover the clean-up funds under asset recovery laws from any individual successfully prosecuted at the termination of its active case.

She noted that these detentions would help "move the investigation forward" and enable officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to determine in detail what happened and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at Kidlington was an shocking and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the local frustration at this egregious act," she stated.

A senior representative praised the detentions, adding: "This unlawful dumping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has led to considerable detriment to the environment and distress to the local residents.

"Our government is committed to stamping out this type of crime throughout the nation, by augmenting resources to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and introducing more severe checks and fines for those who violate the rules."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated serious crime team and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area region in last November. He was set free subject to further inquiries.