Shanghai, Apr 12 (IANS): A staggering 6,000 tonnes of waste tailings have been seized in China's Shanghai city during a crackdown on illegally imported garbage last month, officials said.

Officials have detected excessive amounts of arsenic and cadmium from the tailings, which could have caused contamination if processed by small refineries in China, Xinhua quoted Hu Licong, a customs official, as saying here Thursday.

The tailings, or the residue were imported mainly from countries in western Asia and eastern Europe.

Eight people have been detained for allegedly attempting to smuggle the tailings under fake documents that labelled them as metal ores, an official said.

Shanghai's customs also revealed to have intercepted 115 tonnes of waste tires, which China has banned from import over pollution concerns.

Chinese law on the control of solid waste bans imports that can not be used as raw materials or be recycled by harmless means.

High profits, however, have fuelled smuggling, which is often conducted by conspiring with overseas organisations.