Two Belgian teenagers, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, have been arrested in Kenya for attempting to smuggle 5,000 live queen ants out of the country.
The teenagers were arrested for trying to smuggle the sought-after Messor Cephalotes species (Giant African Harvester Ant) valued at $7,700.
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Alongside the Belgians, a Kenyan national, Dennis Ng’ang’a, and a Vietnamese national, Duh Hung Nguyen, were also arrested, with all four pleading guilty to charges of illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife.
The case unfolded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, where the four appeared on April 15 and 16.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) intercepted the group, discovering the ants concealed in modified syringes and test tubes, a method designed to keep them alive for up to two months during transport.
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Images from the scene show the ants packed tightly in these containers, with some scattered on the ground during the investigation.
David Lornoy, one of the Belgian smugglers, expressed regret in court, stating, “We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity, we did.”
The court has adjourned the case to review pre-sentencing reports from the KWS, National Museums of Kenya, and probation officers. The smugglers remain in custody.
The Messor Cephalotes species (Giant African Harvester Ant) is mostly used for exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
