The officials of the Cagliari Customs Office and the Financiers of the Provincial Command on duty at Elmas airport have seized five specimens of shells of various sizes and a specimen of white "madrepora" coral found in the luggage of a Sardinian passenger arriving from Peru via Atlanta (United States).

During checks at the port, the man declared that he had purchased the marine "souvenirs" from a stall on the beach during a holiday in Mexico.

Customs officials and financiers, however, ordered more in-depth examinations and discovered that the madrepora specimen - approximately 11 centimeters and weighing over half a kilo - belonged to the Anthozoa Faviidae (Madreporari) family, protected at an international level.

For this reason, their seizure was ordered and the Sardinian traveler now risks a heavy fine: for the transport without authorization of natural "treasures" there are in fact fines of up to 15 thousand euros.

«The operation carried out by ADM officials and the Financial Police – explains a note – confirms efficiency and commitment aimed at preventing illicit behavior by "vacationers" who treat natural resources as souvenirs to take home, seeking at the same time to spread a new culture aimed at greater respect for the environmental heritage".

(Unioneonline)

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