Beach sand is a precious recource in Cancun

As for the use of police tape, he said the unauthorized work, which included the introduction of a sand substitute known as sascab, was against the law and thus created a crime scene. “We wanted to make it very clear it was closed,” he said.

SHOOT: And hurricanes don't help...

clipped from www.nytimes.com MEXICO CITY — Police tape goes up every day in trouble spots all across Mexico but is rarely unfurled on the beach. One oceanfront stretch in Cancún, however, was closed off to the public recently after the federal government deemed it a crime scene — the target of what prosecutors consider an elaborate scheme to steal sand. Although Cancún has crystal-clear waters, plenty of sun and night life galore, its supply of sand has been dwindling for years, especially since Hurricane Wilma struck the Yucatán Peninsula hard and washed away much of the white granules four years ago. Now narrow slivers of sand lie between Cancún’s towering hotels and the waves. The government has spent tens of millions of dollars to replenish the beaches, but because those efforts have not kept up with Mother Nature, some hotel owners have taken measures into their own hands.