French tourists risking jail for sand theft from beach in Sardinia

A French couple who were caught with 40kg of Sardinian sand in their car could face up to six years in jail.

They say they wanted to take the sand home as a “souvenir” and did not realise they had committed an offence.  Police discovered the sand crammed into 14 plastic bottles taken from the beach in Chia, southern Sardinia, in the trunk of an SUV belonging to the couple.

Sardinia’s famed white sand is considered a public good and it is strictly forbidden to remove it from the island.

For years, residents have complained about the theft of natural assets including sand.

The couple face a jail term of between one and six years for the crime of theft with the aggravating circumstance of having stolen an asset of public utility.

Under a 2017 law, the trade in sand, pebbles and shells is illegal, and usually punishable with fines of up to €3,000.

Via BBC/ RAI News/L’Unione Sarda