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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the massive mound of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a prior report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful dumps throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment agency stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial crimes and were a "key step" in active investigations. Both men have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to hold about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is consists of what looks to be processed residential rubbish, chopped up plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and assorted domestic items.

It is just one of 517 illegal dumps in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such major locations is probably to be higher, as the regulatory authority has in the past stated it does not hold data on tonnage for all illegal tip.

Most such locations are in rural areas, typically hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm land.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are earning money by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to take and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the volume and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected location began earlier this month following fears over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste removal firm has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the country's environmental crime division stated that the agency would be seeking to recoup the clearance funds under confiscation legislation from anyone found guilty at the termination of its active investigation.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "move the investigation forward" and permit officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what happened and who was a party to it".

"The illegal site at the site was an appalling and intentional assault on our ecology and we empathize with the community's frustration at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A senior minister welcomed the detentions, stating: "The unauthorized deposit of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and anguish to the local community.

"The government is pledged to stamping out this type of crime across the country, by increasing funds to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and enacting stricter controls and fines for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional crime team and come after an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was released pending further inquiries.