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A pair of individuals have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous mound of rubbish deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a recent revelation which exposed the existence of over 500 illegal tips across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental body said that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "key step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house around 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is made up of what appears to be sorted residential waste, fragmented plastics, polystyrene, tyres and other everyday articles.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful tips across England, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual number of such major sites is expected to be larger, as the regulatory body has earlier indicated it does not possess records on volume for each unlawful site.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside areas, typically hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement say many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to receive and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected dump started in recent weeks following worries over the threat of blaze and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been awarded the task to remediate the site over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the national environmental crime division said that the agency would be looking to recover the clean-up costs under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more avenues to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"This illegal dump at this location was an shocking and deliberate assault on our ecology and we understand the public's outrage at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet representative welcomed the arrests, stating: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is disgraceful and has caused considerable damage to the natural world and distress to the nearby community.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this kind of crime in the country, by increasing funds to tackle waste crime, employing more staff and implementing stricter checks and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated organised crime team and follow an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was released subject to further inquiries.