Sardinian sand theft leaves dozens facing fines of up to €3,000
Dozens of people are facing fines of up to €3,000 (£2,580; $3,650) for removing beach sand and shells from the Italian island of Sardinia, local media report.
Authorities said on Saturday that 41 individuals had been reported for the theft of about 100kg (220lb) of items from beaches in separate incidents.
As part of an ongoing investigation, military and customs police in Sardinia have been monitoring airports and harbours, and also searching websites for illegal sales. Tourists attempting to remove bottled sand in their luggage have been caught during customs checks using X-rays.
Police said that in recent days they had discovered dozens of online adverts for the sale of items collected from the Mediterranean island's coasts illegally, some at what they described as "high prices".
The details of those accused of wrongdoing have been reported to the Forestry Corps (national state police) of Sardinia and face fines under the island's regional law.
