Belgian Teenagers Admit to Trafficking Insects from Kenya After Being Caught Smuggling 5,000 Ants

Two Belgian teenagers admitted in court that they attempted to traffic thousands of queen ants to supply the growing international exotic pet market. 

The Kenya Wildlife Service told authorities it had caught four smugglers trying to transport thousands of live ants out of Kenya for sale on exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia. Two of them were 19-year-olds from Belgium, according to Reuters. 

The two Belgians, one Vietnamese person and one Kenyan pleaded guilty to charges of illegal possession and trafficking live wildlife. They appeared Tuesday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court in Nairobi, per the outlet. 

David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx appeared in court after police said they found over 2,200 modified test tubes and syringes packed with cotton wool and one or two queen ants, according to The Times, which noted law enforcement hauled in a total of around 5,000 insects.

Officials called the case “a disturbing shift in trafficking patterns – from iconic mammals to tiny but ecologically vital species.”

The queen ants included some of the “sought-after” Messor Cephalotes species, commonly known as the Giant African Harvester ant, according to the outlet. 

“We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did,” Lornoy told the court, Reuters reported. 

The Kenya Wildlife Service referred to the case as a “landmark in the fight against biopiracy” because it involved an attempt to export Kenya’s genetic resources without asking for consent, according to the outlet. 

The test tubes had been “designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection,” the Kenya Wildlife Service told The Times in a statement.

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AntsRus, a supplier of live queen ant eggs, says the Giant African Harvester Ants have a “beautiful black and red colouration” on its website. Combined with their size, the ant is described as “truly amazing to observe.”

Since the species is mostly found in Kenya and Ethiopia, it is hard for retailers to source, AntsRus wrote; it is listed at a £99.99 retail price but is currently out of stock. 

Authorities in Kenya have long battled illegal wildlife trafficking, according to The Times. They’re focusing on the growing international demand for exotic species that people use for cooking, alternative medicine and as household items.