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Ant smuggling suspects set to be sentenced in May
Samples of garden ants concealed in syringes are presented to court as two Belgian nationals, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan national appeared for the hearing of their case, after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya, April 15, 2025.
Four suspects accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of Kenya will learn their fate on May 7, 2025.
On Wednesday, during a hearing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Magistrate Njeri Thuku made the ruling after receiving the victim impact report from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials.
"In this instance, the prosecution has gone one step further and prepared a victim impact statement, which I will read the title as it is: 'Illegal Ant Trafficking from Kenya to Asia, Europe, and America.' So it explains in this instance why the live ants were being trafficked. Therefore, I am not sentencing today. The sentence will take place on the 7th of May at 9:30 a.m.," she said.
The suspects—two Belgians, a Vietnamese national, and a Kenyan—were arrested following what the KWS described as a "coordinated, intelligence-led operation."
Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nyugen and Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a look on during the hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, in Nairobi.
Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, were arrested with 5,000 ants in a guesthouse on April 5 and appeared distraught during their appearance before the Nairobi magistrate.
They told the court they were collecting the ants for fun and were unaware it was illegal.
In a separate criminal case, Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a and Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen were also charged in the same courtroom with illegal trade after being found in possession of 400 ants.
Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, punishable by a minimum fine of approximately Sh1.3 million ($10,000) and at least five years in prison.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which brought the case against the men, said the crime was not only a wildlife offence but also constituted biopiracy.
The agency said the four men were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia. The species included Messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large, red-coloured harvester ant native to East Africa.
The giant African harvester ant—or Messor cephalotes—is the largest of its species and can grow up to 20 mm, with queens reaching up to 25 mm.
The two Belgians were arrested in Nakuru County, home to various national parks, with 5,000 ants found in their guesthouse. The ants were packed in 2,244 test tubes filled with cotton wool to help them survive for months.
The other two suspects were arrested in Nairobi, where they were found with 400 ants in their apartments.
Kenyan authorities valued the ants at Sh1 million ($7,700). Prices for ants can vary significantly depending on the species and market.
In Kenya, these ants are protected under international biodiversity treaties, and their trade is highly regulated.
"This prosecution sends a strong message that Kenya will enforce compliance... and marks a significant step forward in Kenya's fight against unconventional wildlife crimes," KWS said.
KWS Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto stated that the exact number of insects involved is still being evaluated, but confirmed that this was the country's first case of "bio-piracy" on such a scale.
The seized contraband included giant African harvester ants, which some UK dealers value at up to Sh28,500 ($220) per ant.
The KWS warned that the case highlights a "disturbing shift in trafficking trends—from iconic mammals to lesser-known species crucial for ecological balance."
