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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement stated that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the massive heap of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent investigation which uncovered the existence of more than 500 illegal tips in the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory authorities said that the arrests were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The dump in near Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what appears to be treated household waste, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various household objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such major locations is probably to be larger, as the environment authority has in the past indicated it does not maintain data on tonnage for each unauthorized dump.

Most these sites are in agricultural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is intended to be agricultural land.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by charging significantly less than legitimate operators to receive and bury waste.

Firms have to pay site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory work to clear the affected location started recently following fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

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

An enforcement manager for the national regulatory team stated that the authority would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under confiscation legislation from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the end of its active investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "follow more leads to determine in detail what occurred and who was involved".

"The unlawful site at the site was an atrocious and intentional affront on our ecology and we understand the community's anger at this egregious offence," she said.

A government official praised the actions, adding: "This unlawful dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has led to significant damage to the ecology and upset to the surrounding residents.

"Our administration is pledged to eradicating this type of crime throughout the country, by boosting funds to combat environmental crime, recruiting more officers and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime team and come after an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting further enquiries.