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Two men have been detained as a component of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in connection with the enormous mound of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions occur a week after a prior revelation which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 unauthorized sites across the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental agency commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is estimated to house around 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is made up of what looks to be sorted household waste, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, tires and various household articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such major locations is probably to be larger, as the environment agency has earlier stated it does not hold information on weight for each unlawful site.

The majority these sites are in countryside settings, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm land.

Organized Enterprise

Police state numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are earning profit by charging much less than lawful firms to accept and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to be liable for site fees to use licensed landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Initial operations to clear the Kidlington area site started earlier this month amid fears over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial waste removal company has been granted the job to handle the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environmental crime division commented that the body would be looking to claim back the clean-up costs under asset recovery laws from any party ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She added that these apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and allow the agency to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The unlawful tip at this location was an appalling and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the community's anger at this horrific crime," she said.

A cabinet minister praised the detentions, stating: "The illegal deposit of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused considerable damage to the environment and upset to the surrounding population.

"The government is pledged to stamping out this category of criminality in the UK, by boosting financing to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and enacting stricter measures and fines for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were executed on the specified day by personnel from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was let go awaiting further inquiries.