For many, sand in a bottle or a few smooth stones are a cherished memory from a holiday trip. But in Sardinia, which is famous for its white beaches, it is forbidden to bring it with you. Anyone caught with sand in their luggage can face a fine of over 30,000 kronor, reports the BBC.
In 2017, it also became illegal to trade sand, pebbles, and seashells from Sardinian beaches.
Customs and military police are keeping an eye on ports and airports and searching the internet for illegal sales. Tourists have been caught with sand in bottles when their bags were X-rayed.
On Saturday, authorities reported that 41 people had been charged with stealing a total of 100 kilos of sand. Police also said that in recent days they had found several advertisements for sand taken from the Mediterranean island.
So far this year, the equivalent of SEK 130,000 has been collected in fines. The fines may seem high, but sand theft poses an environmental threat in the long term when climate change causes rising sea levels.
Source: TT
