A French couple could potentially be sentenced up to six years in prison after they were caught stealing sand from Sardinia.
According to BBC News, the couple couple face a lengthy sentence after they were found to have 40kg of sand contained in 14 bottles inside their car.
Under laws which were introduced in 2017, those visiting the island’s infamous white sandy beaches are forbidden from taking any items deemed a public good away from the island.
Although the couple who were scheduled to return France claimed that they took the sand as a souvenir and didn’t know that they were committing an offence, authorities say they could potentially face a prison sentence ranging from 1 to 6 years.
It is understood the new laws were overwhelmingly passed as locals became concerned about the future of the island’s landscape.