Fury Over Spanish Sand Fines. Spanish authorities have introduced fines for sand theft following freak weather conditions. 
Fury Over Spanish Sand Fines
Costa Del Sol residents are in uproar today after police began handing out fines to people suspected of sand theft. A recent weather phenomonon known as “calima” has deposited enormous amounts of sand from the Sahara onto the Costa Del Sol. Since the sand cloud cleared, Costa Del Sol residents have begun the clean up operation. However, in shock news today the local government have revealed that it’s illegal to keep the sand or even to dispose of it . Residents are obliged to collect the sand and return it to a designated local collection point.
A tourist determined to enjoy her beach time despite the sandstorms.
Anyone caught keeping or disposing of the sand now faces fines up to €5000. Rodrigo Arena-Robada from the Andalucian Regional Sand Executive says “people need to understand that this sand is not theirs, it’s not even ours, it belongs to the people of the Sahara and we are duty bound to return it to them. Keeping the sand is a serious offence. We won’t tolerate this blatant criminal behaviour“.
Collect And Return Saharan Sand
Residents are being advised to collect the sand and place it into special sand storage containers, which can be purchased for €13 each from the local town hall. Sand must then be returned in these containers to any local police station, town hall, or branch of Banco Sabadell (only between 9-01am and 9.04am on Mondays and Thursdays).
These sand collection containers must be bought from your local town hall.
Only sand from the Sahara can be returned to the collection points. Spanish sand won’t be accepted and residents are resposible for separating local sand from Saharan sand. The government’s Department For International Sand Related Incidents has issued a simple guide to assist. This explains that sand from the Sahara has a more rounded texture, and a deeper colour which can be seen from the helpful colour comparison picture below.
The government have issued this useful colour chart to help citizens separate the local sand from the Sahara sand,
Drivers Fined For Sand Smuggling
Warnings have been issued after British drivers were fined for smuggling sand in their vehicles. Ivor Hughes from PMS Transport was apprehended at Malaga Merida Airport. He told us “I was taking clients to the airport when the police stopped me and searched my luxury transport vehicle. They found sand in the engine bay and accused me of stealing it. I was fined €200 on the spot! I’m going to appeal though, because the sand looks local to me, it was in pristine condition and didn’t look like it had travelled all the way from the Sahara”.
Local police are now using drones to check terraces and gardens on the Costa Del Sol. Sandy Beach is an expat from Birmingham who now lives in Torremolinos. He says “Actually I’m not from Birmingham, I’m from Edgbaston. I was sweeping sand off my terrace when there was a knock at the door. Four armed police officers burst into my flat accusing me of trying to hide evidence! They’d been watching me with one of those drone things! I’m furious because I don’t know how long they were snooping, and I didn’t close the bedroom shutters when I got changed this morning”.
A team of lightly armed police officers have been apprehending suspected sand thieves.
Expats Are Outraged
Brits on the Costa Del Sol have been expressing their outrage over the sand theft laws. Anne Fernandez MBE OBE HOT PhD runs a non-political Facebook group where expats can express outrage over a range political injustices from Brexit to the infated price of Yorkshire tea in local supermarkets. Anne says “This really is outrageous, it’s been awhile since I was this outraged to be honest. We are guests in this country, and it makes me angry to think that some Brits come here thinking they can just help themselves to sand which blows onto their property. Madness. If people want sand, they should buy it like we do. Judy and I have a lovely sand bath in the office which we relax in every Friday afternoon. “
Stew Pidd thinks that this is fake news.
Stew Pidd believes that this is just fake news. He says “anything I don’t understand is fake news, especially jokes I don’t get or don’t like. This is obviously fake news. They need us more than we need them. Big up Boris”.
Do you think that these fines are fair? Have your say in the comments section.
Written by Anna Srammer, Costa Del Sol Update
