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Two men have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the massive pile of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a prior investigation which uncovered the presence of more than 500 illegal tips throughout the country of England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment agency said that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering violations and represented a "vital step" in active probes. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in near Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what looks to be processed household waste, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, tyres and assorted domestic objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal sites in England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger sites is likely to be greater, as the environment body has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain information on volume for all unlawful tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in rural locations, typically out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable property.

Criminal Operations

Authorities say a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are making cash by charging significantly less than licensed companies to receive and landfill garbage.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the amount and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Outrage

Preparation work to clean up the affected site began in recent weeks following fears over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to remediate the area over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's regulatory team stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from any party prosecuted at the termination of its current inquiry.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to determine exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at this location was an appalling and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and we understand the local frustration at this horrific crime," she stated.

A government minister welcomed the detentions, commenting: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable damage to the ecology and anguish to the surrounding residents.

"The administration is pledged to eliminating this category of crime throughout the country, by augmenting funds to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and introducing tougher checks and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated serious crime squad and are in addition to an previous arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go pending additional investigations.