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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the enormous heap of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps throughout the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory authorities stated that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and were a "key step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been set free on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of garbage is consists of what looks to be sorted household refuse, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, tires and other household items.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. They include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total number of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the environmental agency has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain data on tonnage for all unlawful dump.

Most such locations are in agricultural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Organized Activity

Police say numerous are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging significantly less than lawful firms to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the amount and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Local Anger

Preparation efforts to clean up the Kidlington area dump commenced recently amid concerns over the potential of blaze and the impact that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the contract to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government regulatory team said that the agency would be looking to claim back the clean-up expenses under confiscation laws from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized tip at the site was an appalling and calculated assault on our environment and the authorities empathize with the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she stated.

A senior representative welcomed the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at the site is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and upset to the local population.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eliminating this category of criminality across the nation, by boosting funds to address waste crime, recruiting more personnel and enacting stricter measures and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on Thursday by personnel from a dedicated organised crime squad and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in last November. He was released subject to more inquiries.