Kenyan Court Jails Foreign Nationals for Attempting to Smuggle Thousands of Queen Ants.

By Caroline Ameh

A Kenyan court has sentenced four men — two Belgians, a Vietnamese, and a Kenyan — to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 each for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country.

The group was arrested last month in Naivasha with over 5,000 queen ants—primarily giant African harvester ants—carefully packed in more than 2,000 cotton-filled test tubes. The rare insects are highly prized by collectors in Europe and Asia, where they can fetch up to £170 ($220) each.

Magistrate Njeri Thuku, while delivering the sentence on Wednesday, emphasized the severity of the crime, saying the volume of ants seized indicated an organized attempt at illegal wildlife trade rather than a harmless hobby.

“While collecting a few ants might be considered a hobby, being found with 5,000 queen ants is beyond a hobby,” Thuku said. “Already the world has lost a number of species due in part to greed. It is time to stem this tide. This court will do what it can to protect all creatures great and small.”

The convicted individuals include 19-year-old Belgians Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, 23-year-old Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, and 26-year-old Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a. The Belgians claimed to be hobbyist collectors, with David admitting he belongs to an online group called “Ant Gang” and already keeps 10 ant colonies at home in Belgium.

Nguyen was described as a “courier” who had been paid to pick up the ants, while Ng’ang’a acted as a broker with local knowledge of the species. All four pleaded guilty, and the court considered their mitigation arguments before issuing similar sentences.

The magistrate also ordered the deportation of the three foreign nationals upon payment of the fines or after serving their prison terms. They have 14 days to appeal the ruling.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) lauded the ruling, calling it a landmark case in the fight against wildlife trafficking, especially the growing trade in lesser-known but ecologically vital species.

“This case sends a strong message: Kenya will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone involved in the illegal wildlife trade, regardless of the species involved,” the KWS said in a statement. It warned that trafficking of smaller creatures like ants could have long-term effects on biodiversity and soil health.

The ants in question are protected under international biodiversity treaties, and their collection and trade are strictly regulated in Kenya