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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the massive mound of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent report which exposed the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps across the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency said that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering offences and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold around 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is consists of what seems to be sorted household waste, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other household articles.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual figure of such major locations is expected to be larger, as the regulatory body has earlier acknowledged it does not possess data on weight for each unlawful dump.

The majority sites are in countryside areas, frequently concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are generating profit by asking for significantly less than legitimate operators to receive and bury rubbish.

Firms have to pay gate fees to use licensed landfill sites, based on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial efforts to remove the Kidlington area dump began earlier this month following concerns over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

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

An investigations officer for the national regulatory team commented that the body would be aiming to recoup the remediation costs under asset recovery laws from anyone successfully convicted at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She noted that this week's apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and enable the agency to "investigate more avenues to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal site at the site was an atrocious and intentional assault on our environment and we share the community's anger at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, stating: "The unauthorized tipping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has caused substantial detriment to the environment and upset to the local population.

"The authorities is pledged to stamping out this category of crime in the country, by increasing resources to address environmental crime, hiring more officers and enacting stricter measures and penalties for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on the specified day by agents from a dedicated serious crime team and come after an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in November. He was set free pending additional inquiries.