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Two men have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough in association with the enormous pile of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions follow a recent investigation which uncovered the operation of over 500 unlawful tips across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment authorities said that the detentions were for environment-related and financial crimes and represented a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house around 21,000 tons of waste 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 treated domestic refuse, fragmented plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted everyday articles.

It is just one of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger locations is expected to be higher, as the environmental body has in the past stated it does not maintain records on volume for every unauthorized tip.

A large proportion of such locations are in agricultural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Criminal Activity

Authorities report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by demanding much less than lawful firms to take and landfill waste.

Businesses have to pay disposal fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the quantity and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Preparation operations to clean up the Kidlington dump commenced recently amid fears over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A commercial waste clearance firm has been given the contract to handle the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national environment division stated that the authority would be aiming to recover the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime acts from anyone successfully convicted at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more leads to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was implicated".

"This unlawful tip at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our environment and officials share the community's anger at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A senior representative supported the actions, commenting: "This illegal dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and distress to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this kind of illegal activity across the country, by augmenting financing to combat waste crime, hiring more personnel and enacting more severe measures and penalties for those who break the law."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime team and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in last November. He was set free awaiting further enquiries.