Couple Faces Six Years in Jail for Stealing Sand From Sardinia

Since Sardinia’s white sand is considered a public good, it’s forbidden to remove it from the island. Attempting to bring it home is considered theft. The law, enacted in 2017 to protect the beautiful environment of the island, states that trade in sand, pebbles, and shells is illegal, and punishable by fines of up to $3,330.

As reported by The Guardian, this summer police have seen an increase in sand, shells, and other beach items found in people’s luggage at the island’s airports; ten tons were seized at Olbia, in the northwest of the island, in the past few weeks alone.