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Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the enormous heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which exposed the existence of more than 500 unlawful sites in the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environmental body commented that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to contain around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is made up of what looks to be treated household rubbish, fragmented plastics, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday objects.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of waste. They include 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 overall number of such bigger locations is expected to be larger, as the environmental body has in the past stated it does not hold records on tonnage for each unauthorized dump.

The majority these sites are in countryside locations, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Organised Operations

Police say a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by demanding much less than licensed operators to accept and bury rubbish.

Firms have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Anger

Preparatory operations to clear the Kidlington area site began recently due to worries over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial clean-up company has been awarded the job to deal with the location over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environmental crime team stated that the body would be aiming to recover the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that this week's apprehensions would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "follow more leads to understand in detail what occurred and who was involved".

"This unlawful dump at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the local outrage at this egregious act," she remarked.

A government representative praised the arrests, adding: "The unauthorized tipping of garbage at this location is appalling and has caused considerable detriment to the environment and distress to the nearby community.

"Our government is committed to eradicating this type of criminality throughout the nation, by augmenting resources to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and introducing tougher checks and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional serious crime squad and come after an previous apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released awaiting additional investigations.