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Investigators were stunned after hundreds of truckloads of sand vanished from a famous Jamaican coastline.
News18
In July 2008, residents and authorities alike were stunned by the sudden disappearance of a major portion of Coral Spring Beach in Trelawny, which saw exposed rock and scarred coastline replacing what had previously been pristine, soft white sand. It is now believed that close to 500 trucks worth of sand were pilfered in a bizarre case of environmental crime.
The missing sand occurred in proximity to a resort development project site located in the north coast of Jamaica. Investigators concluded that the sand had been pilfered over several nights, involving trucks and other heavy machinery, with crews capable of hauling large amounts of sand without drawing any immediate attention to the crime.
It is reported that the stolen sand had covered a stretch of nearly 1,300 feet of shoreline, and the extent of the crime quickly made headlines around the world, with many people unable to fathom how a beach had seemingly vanished from existence.
An investigation into the incident was conducted almost immediately after it came into public knowledge. It is suspected that the sand could be stolen and illegally sold to the tourism and construction development companies. The high quality sand of the Caribbean beaches was very precious for hotels, private resorts, and even in creating artificial beaches.
It was said by environmental scientists that there might be major consequences caused by the theft. In addition, the Caribbean beaches were important not only for tourists but also for the protection of the coastline from storms, erosion and even the increasing level of the sea. Large-scale stealing of sand could lead to negative ecological consequences.
It was reported by local sources that the process would need great organization since trucks were needed to be sent to the beach again and again.
Some people were interrogated by the authorities during the investigation, yet there were no big arrests made related to this mysterious beach. This fact only created more interest and intrigue among the public regarding this strange case.
This event also highlighted the illegal practice of sand mining that was occurring in many coastal areas globally. The environmental organizations became vigilant in monitoring the fragile coastline of Jamaica after the incident occurred.
After all those years, the Coral Spring Beach disappearance remains one of the most bizarre cases of stealing in the world. Pictures of the barren shore and the news about how an entire beach had been taken away by trucks continue to spread on the Internet as one of the strangest cases of environmental crimes.
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