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Two men have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the massive mound of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which exposed the existence of more than 500 illegal sites throughout the country of England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency said that the apprehensions were for environmental and financial offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is thought to hold about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be processed domestic waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and other everyday items.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such major locations is probably to be larger, as the environmental body has earlier indicated it does not hold records on volume for each unlawful tip.

Most sites are in rural areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural ground.

Criminal Operations

Authorities report numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating money by charging significantly less than licensed operators to receive and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington location began recently amid worries over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private clean-up company has been awarded the job to handle the site over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national environmental crime team stated that the body would be aiming to claim back the remediation costs under confiscation legislation from any individual ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of its active case.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "pursue more avenues to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at this location was an appalling and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and officials understand the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A cabinet minister welcomed the detentions, commenting: "This unlawful deposit of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has led to considerable harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding residents.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this category of criminality across the nation, by increasing financing to address illegal dumping, employing more personnel and enacting more severe checks and fines for those who violate the rules."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime unit and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was let go awaiting further investigations.