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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an probe into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the huge heap of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a prior revelation which revealed the existence of over 500 illegal tips in the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body commented that the arrests were for environment-related and financial violations and represented a "key step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, chopped up plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other everyday items.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized tips throughout England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall number of such major sites is expected to be greater, as the environment agency has earlier acknowledged it does not hold information on tonnage for all unlawful site.

A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural areas, typically hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Criminal Activity

Police state a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by asking for far less than lawful firms to take and landfill garbage.

Firms have to pay gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the amount and category of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Frustration

Initial work to clean up the Kidlington area site started recently amid worries over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been awarded the job to deal with the area over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government environment team commented that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what transpired and who was involved".

"This unlawful site at this location was an shocking and intentional assault on our environment and officials share the public's frustration at this egregious offence," she said.

A cabinet representative supported the actions, adding: "The illegal dumping of rubbish at the site is disgraceful and has led to substantial detriment to the natural world and upset to the surrounding community.

"The authorities is pledged to eradicating this category of illegal activity throughout the nation, by increasing financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and enacting more severe controls and penalties for those who break the law."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by agents from a regional organised crime unit and come after an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was let go pending further inquiries.