French tourists face six years in jail for taking 40kg of sand from Sardinian beach

A French couple could face up to six years in jail after being caught with 40kg of Sardinian sand in the boot of their car.

The Italian island’s renowned white sand is considered a highly protected public good, and removing it from the island is firmly prohibited.

The couple have claimed that they were taking the sand home as a “souvenir” and were not aware that they were committing an offence.

Police discovered the sand packed into 14 plastic bottles stolen from the beach in Chia, southern Sardinia in the back of their SUV.

The couple were on the verge of leaving Sardinia and boarding a ferry from Porto Torres to Toulon, France, according to local media.

Under a law enforced in 2017, it is illegal to trade in sand, pebbles or shells, and is punishable with fines of up to €3,000 (£2,750).

This comes after the public were banned in 1994 from accessing the famed pink beach on Budelli island, north-east Sardinia, amid concerns for its future.

The authorities are worried as numerous tonnes of the island’s precious sand vanish every year.

Some tourists who successfully manage to smuggle the sand from the island auction it online at extortionate prices.

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