Tourists Reminded Fines Up To GBP 2500 Issued For Stealing Sand From Beach After Four Tons Found Hidden In Luggage
Italian authorities are reminding tourists that anyone caught stealing sand from the picturesque Sardinian beaches will be fined up to EUR 3000 ( GBP 2,578) after a series of major sand theft cases were reported this summer including the attempted theft of four tonnes of sand and hundreds of shells.
The tiny amounts of sand hidden in plastic bottles and bags as a souvenir of the holiday has been confiscated from the luggage of dozens of tourists with substantial fines handed out as a result.
Several tourists have also been caught stealing pebbles, stones and shells which are also forbidden to remove from the Italian island of Sardinia where tourists from all around the world visit in large numbers to enjoy the beautiful white-sand beaches throughout the summer.
One of the most recent cases was recorded last Friday (27th August) by the Italian Agency for Excise Duties, Customs and Monopolies.
According to the statement made by the agency: “large quantities of sand, pebbles and shells were found in the possession of some departing passengers from the ‘Riviera del Corallo’ airport in Sardinia.”
Agents from the Agency together with their colleagues from Guardia di Finanza seized the goods before the passengers could leave the country with them.
The officials seized in total 4,100 kilogrammes (9,038 lbs) of sand contained in plastic bottles, 476 sea pebbles and 256 shells. All of the “souvenirs” were illegally taken from beaches such as Is Aruttas, Porto beach Palmas, Lido di Alghero, Gabbiani beach and Porto Alabe beach (Bosa) located across the Italian island.
According to several reports from local media, visitors have been caught trying to leave Italy with ‘free souvenirs’ in the form of sand, pebbles and shells from Sardinia’s beaches.
Visitors from the UK as well as other countries like Spain, Romania and Switzerland have been caught stealing sand and pebbles from the beaches along with local tourists from Italy’s major cities such as Milan and Rome
Italian officials have repeatedly warned tourists that if they are caught stealing from the beaches or the sea they will face a fine that varies from a minimum of EUR 500 (GBP 429) up to a maximum of EUR 3.000 (GBP 2578).
