File photo of a Pinna nobilis by biolib.cz
A Bulgarian man has spent 18 days in a Croatian jail over a single empty seashell he wanted to take home as a souvenir from a local beach.
As the man and his girlfriend were leaving the country, they were busted by Croatian border police at the country's border with Bosnia.
As it turned out, the seashell belonged to a rare species named Pinna nobilis, a large saltwater clam.
The Bulgarians faced a EUR 900 fine, but they did not have enough money. As a result, the man was put behind bars.
"Frankly, it was in a very bad condition. We simply liked it because of its size," the unlucky man's girlfriend has told the Bulgarian National Television, pointing out that everyone is keeping some kinds of seashells or small rocks as souvenirs.
The woman is positive that there were no signs on the beach banning the gathering of seashells.