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Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge mound of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a recent revelation which exposed the existence of over 500 illegal sites across the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment authorities stated that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering violations and represented a "vital step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house about 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is made up of what appears to be processed domestic rubbish, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted everyday articles.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger sites is probably to be larger, as the regulatory body has in the past acknowledged it does not possess data on volume for each unauthorized site.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural locations, typically concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Organised Activity

Police report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by demanding significantly less than lawful firms to receive and dispose of garbage.

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

Public Anger

Preparation efforts to clean up the Kidlington area dump started earlier this month amid worries over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the close-by highway.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been given the task to handle the location over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national regulatory team stated that the body would be looking to recoup the clearance costs under proceeds of crime acts from anyone ultimately convicted at the end of its current investigation.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to determine in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"The illegal dump at the site was an shocking and deliberate attack on our environment and we understand the community's frustration at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior official praised the arrests, adding: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the natural world and upset to the surrounding population.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this type of crime in the UK, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more personnel and enacting stricter measures and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were made on the specified day by officers from a dedicated serious crime team and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was set free pending additional inquiries.