A couple from France is facing 6 years in Italian jail for trying to smuggle 40 kilograms of sand from the pristine beaches of Sardinia.
The French couple said they were ignorant of the stringent sand laws of the Mediterranean island.
They were caught by the officials with 14 bottles of precious grains.
The 40 kilograms of sand was taken from a beach in the Southern Sardinia and was loaded on the back of their SUV truck.
Officials said they were supposed to be smuggled through a ferry that would be traveling to Toulon, France.
The French couple said the 14 bottles were a souvenir.
They added that they did not know that bring out sand outside the countries is against the country’s sand smuggling laws.
In 2017, the government of Sardinia decided to create a law that would let anyone who tries to steal or smuggle sand out of the country face 6 years in jail and a fine of 2750 pounds.
Earlier this year, the customs department of the international airport of Sardinia in Cagliari announced that they intercepted 5 tons of beach sand in one summer.
During an interview with CNN Travel, the customs department said the 5 tons of sand will be returned to its original beach.
Authorities in Sardinia said that tourists who visit the country should keep their memories in the mind and should leave their precious sand behind.