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Two men have been detained as an element of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the huge mound of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions occur a week after a recent revelation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized dumps across the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency said that the detentions were for environmental and financial crimes and were a "crucial step" in ongoing probes. Both men have been released on bail.

Size of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to hold around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be treated domestic waste, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and other domestic items.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized sites across the country, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such bigger sites is expected to be larger, as the environmental agency has earlier acknowledged it does not hold data on weight for each unauthorized site.

Most such locations are in rural locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Criminal Operations

Law enforcement state a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by charging far less than legitimate companies to accept and landfill waste.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, based on the volume and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation work to clean up the Kidlington site started earlier this month due to worries over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted clean-up company has been given the contract to handle the site over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the national environment team commented that the agency would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under confiscation laws from any individual prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the probe forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more avenues to determine precisely what occurred and who was implicated".

"This unlawful dump at the site was an appalling and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and we understand the community's frustration at this egregious act," she stated.

A government official supported the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused substantial damage to the environment and distress to the local population.

"The government is dedicated to eliminating this type of criminality in the UK, by boosting resources to combat environmental crime, employing more staff and enacting tougher measures and sanctions for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime unit and come after an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was let go subject to more inquiries.