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Two men have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of waste dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior investigation which revealed the presence of over 500 unlawful sites across England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body said that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering offences and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is made up of what seems to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is probably to be larger, as the environmental body has in the past indicated it does not hold information on volume for every unlawful site.

Most such locations are in rural settings, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural land.

Criminal Activity

Law enforcement state many are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging significantly less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the amount and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clean up the affected dump started earlier this month amid worries over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been awarded the task to deal with the location over the next 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environment team commented that the agency would be seeking to claim back the remediation expenses under confiscation legislation from any individual successfully convicted at the termination of its current investigation.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"This illegal site at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities share the public's outrage at this horrific act," she remarked.

A senior official supported the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and upset to the local community.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of crime across the UK, by increasing resources to address waste crime, recruiting more officers and introducing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated organised crime team and follow an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was set free awaiting further inquiries.