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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous heap of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior report which revealed the presence of over 500 unauthorized dumps across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment agency commented that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial violations and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Scale of the Issue

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is consists of what seems to be treated household refuse, shredded plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and other household objects.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. They include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall figure of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environment body has in the past indicated it does not maintain information on volume for every unlawful dump.

The majority such locations are in countryside settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Organized Operations

Police say numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for much less than legitimate operators to take and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the volume and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area dump began recently amid concerns over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste clearance company has been given the task to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environmental crime team commented that the body would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under proceeds of crime acts from any individual successfully prosecuted at the end of its active inquiry.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "push the probe forward" and allow officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The unlawful dump at the site was an shocking and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she stated.

A cabinet official welcomed the actions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of garbage at Kidlington is appalling and has led to significant detriment to the natural world and upset to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this category of illegal activity across the nation, by augmenting funds to tackle illegal dumping, employing more staff and implementing more severe controls and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on the specified day by personnel from a regional serious crime team and are in addition to an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was released awaiting further enquiries.