21 arrests over illegal toxic waste dump in Italy

Twenty-one men were arrested Thursday after police discovered a gigantic toxic waste dump near Rome.

The illegal dump lies in a disused quarry near the seaside town of Latina, south of Rome.

The 19 Italians and two Romanians face charges including criminal association with intent to traffic dangerous waste.

The youngest is aged 22 and the oldest is 73, according to Buongiorno Latina (Good Morning Latina) website, which published the suspects' names.

Authorities also seized assets worth about 15 million euros, including nine companies, seven residential buildings, eight industrial buildings, 37 land properties, 60 vehicles, and several bank accounts, according to Buongiorno Latina.

The investigation called Operation Dark Side which lasted for several months discovered that the gang began dumping toxic waste in the quarry in March 2016, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

They ferried it on dozens of trucks, including at night, and used excavators to bury the waste.

State police tweeted video surveillance footage showing two men standing around as materials were dumped into a hole from the back of a large white truck with German lettering on the side.