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Court slaps ant smugglers with Sh1 million fine each or jail
Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nyugen and Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a in court during hearing of their case after they pleaded guilty to illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants.
Three foreigners and one Kenyan accused of attempting to smuggle garden ants through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have been fined Sh1 million each or serve one year in prison.
The four - two Belgians, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan - were arraigned before JKIA senior principal magistrate Njeri Thuku.
They were convicted on their own guilty plea.
They had been charged with attempting to smuggle 5,000 ants to South Korea.
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.
