Authorities have stopped people who were illegally removing sand from an uninhabited island near Gaafu Dhaalu Fares-Maathodaa and had them return the sand to the island.

The Fares-Maathodaa Island Council shared a video on Facebook showing bags of sand being unloaded from a large boat and returned to the island's shoreline.

The council reminded the public that sand mining is prohibited under Maldivian law.

"The council strongly requests all parties to cooperate in protecting our islands," the council said in the post.

Fares-Maathodaa Council President Mohamed Sabah told Mihaaru News today that the sand had been taken from an uninhabited island near the inhabited island of Fares-Maathodaa.

He said the council became aware of the incident and acted to resolve the issue.

Sabah said years of illegal sand mining had damaged the lagoon surrounding the island, prompting authorities to take action to prevent further environmental degradation.

The uninhabited island, shown in the council's video, features white sandy beaches and clear waters.

Removing sand from islands is prohibited in the Maldives to reduce environmental damage and prevent coastal erosion. Despite the ban, illegal sand extraction continues in some areas for various purposes.