Written by Kelly Were
NAIVASHA, KENYA – In a bizarre twist on wildlife crime, a Kenyan court has sentenced four men—including two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese national, and a local Kenyan—for attempting to smuggle thousands of rare ants out of the country.
The quartet, nabbed last month in a Naivasha guest house with a staggering 5,000 live ants in their possession, pleaded guilty and were slapped with one-year prison sentences or fines of $7,700 (Ksh1.02 million) each. The court dismissed their defense that they were “just hobbyists,” noting that the sheer volume of insects and their high value pointed to a calculated and illegal export operation.
“It’s not like they were collecting souvenirs,” the magistrate said. “This was industrial-scale ant shopping.”
The smugglers—identified as 19-year-old Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, Vietnamese citizen Duh Hung Nguyen, and Kenyan accomplice Dennis Ng’ang’a—were believed to be targeting the lucrative exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia. Some of the species, such as the giant African harvester ant, can fetch up to £170 ($220) apiece on the UK market.
While the world often associates wildlife trafficking with elephant ivory and rhino horns, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) hailed the case as a “landmark” in environmental protection. “This reflects a disturbing shift in trafficking patterns—from iconic mammals to lesser-known but ecologically vital species,” a KWS spokesperson said.
The Belgian teenagers had entered Kenya on tourist visas and were enjoying the sights of Naivasha—a hub known for safaris and scenic lakes—when authorities swooped in. The ants, however, were not on holiday.
Kenya’s biodiversity laws, backed by international treaties, strictly regulate the trade of endemic insect species like the African harvester ant. While ant trafficking might seem like a niche problem, conservationists warn it poses serious ecological risks.
“This isn’t just about ants,” an environmentalist commented. “It’s about entire ecosystems being chipped away one creature at a time.”
The peculiar sting operation has sparked a renewed call for tighter scrutiny at the country’s ports and border controls, as Kenya grapples with an expanding black market for exotic wildlife—including insects, amphibians, and reptiles.
And so, the lesson is clear: next time you think about sneaking something tiny through customs, remember—it only takes a few thousand ants to land you behind bars.
