Kenya: Quartet in Illegal Live Queen Ant Trafficking Case to Be Sentenced On May 7
Nairobi — Three foreigners and Kenyan accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants from Kenya will be sentenced in May.
Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, punishable by a minimum fine of roughly $10,000 and at least five years in prison.
Belgians Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18, were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometres from Nairobi.
Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Kenyan Dennis Nganga were arrested after they were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers.
The Kenya Wildlife Service says the case is not only a ‘wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy’.
Since 2019, authorities have reported a growing number of similar interceptions at JKIA and at courier facilities in Nairobi, Gilgil, and Naivasha.
The report revealed that trafficked ants are frequently misdeclared as wooden carvings or toys.
In the local supply chain, a single queen ant is sold to brokers for around Ksh 50, who then resell them for approximately Ksh150. In European markets, however, they can fetch between 60 and 100 Euros each (Ksh9,000 and Ksh15,000), used primarily for culinary and decorative purposes.
The DPP also submitted a report from the National Museums of Kenya, authored by a leading entomologist.
The report underscored the critical ecological roles played by ants–including pest control, seed dispersal, soil aeration, nutrient recycling, and serving as indicators of environmental health and climate change.
The entomologist warned that mass harvesting of queen ants could lead to local extinctions, destabilize ecosystems, limit plant nutrient availability, and contribute to the spread of invasive species.
The court is scheduled to deliver its sentencing on 7th May 2025.
By Capital FM.
