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Two men have been detained as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the massive pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions follow a previous report which uncovered the operation of over 500 unauthorized sites in England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory body said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering crimes and were a "vital step" in active investigations. The two individuals have been set free on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to contain around 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what appears to be treated household rubbish, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted household objects.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is expected to be greater, as the regulatory agency has previously stated it does not possess information on volume for every unlawful tip.

Most these sites are in agricultural settings, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Organised Operations

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

Businesses have to pay gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Preparatory efforts to remove the affected site commenced in recent weeks due to fears over the threat of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been awarded the contract to remediate the area over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the body would be aiming to claim back the clearance costs under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual prosecuted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "pursue more leads to determine precisely what occurred and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional assault on our environment and officials understand the community's outrage at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A senior representative praised the arrests, adding: "This unlawful deposit of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the ecology and anguish to the nearby population.

"The administration is dedicated to stamping out this kind of illegal activity in the country, by augmenting funds to combat environmental crime, employing more officers and enacting more severe checks and fines for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime unit and follow an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go subject to more inquiries.