Police confiscated 5 tons of sand taken by tourists as souvenirs

Five tons of sand were confiscated by police at Cagliari airport, Italy, after tourists stole it to take home as souvenirs.

Local authorities have warned against taking sand, gravel, shells and any other natural materials from the island.Sardiniaare considered a crime. However, this summer, police still seized about 5 tons of sand at the airport from tourists trying to take home as souvenirs. A similar amount was confiscated last summer.

The amount of sand, gravel and shells stolen may not make a dent in this centuries-old idyllic beach, but in the name of buying a souvenir, tourists are taking away things that nature took millions of years to create.

A Facebook page called “Sardinia is being robbed and destroyed” was created to urge tourists to stop this practice. With the slogan “sand theft is a crime,” the page has attracted nearly 20,000 likes, and 10,000 people have signed a letter calling for tougher penalties for tourists caught and for illegal sand shipments. “They are really making the island angry,” one tourist commented.

Sardinia, Italy is one of the two largest and most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean Sea, attracting many tourists.Sardinia is famous for its superyachts, millionaire mansions and hundreds of miles of tranquil coastline, many of which feature white sand beaches reminiscent of the South Pacific or the Caribbean.

Sand, gravel, and pebbles are taken from the beach by tourists and put into bags or plastic bottles as souvenirs of their trip.

According to VNE