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Two individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the massive heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a prior investigation which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 illegal tips in the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the regulatory agency stated that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and constituted a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Scale of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain around 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 looks to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and assorted domestic items.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites in the country, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental authority has previously acknowledged it does not hold records on weight for all unlawful dump.

Most these sites are in countryside areas, typically hidden, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Enterprise

Police say many are managed by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by demanding much less than lawful firms to take and bury garbage.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the amount and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Initial work to remove the Kidlington area site commenced earlier this month due to worries over the potential of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been granted the job to handle the location over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national environment division stated that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clean-up funds under confiscation acts from any party found guilty at the end of its active case.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and enable the agency to "follow more leads to understand in detail what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful site at this location was an shocking and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the community's outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, commenting: "The illegal dumping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has caused significant detriment to the natural world and distress to the local residents.

"Our authorities is committed to stamping out this kind of crime in the country, by increasing funds to tackle environmental crime, employing more staff and introducing more severe measures and fines for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by officers from a dedicated serious crime unit and follow an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in November. He was let go awaiting additional enquiries.