Summary
- Ant smuggling poses additional threat to wildlife ecosystem
- Queen ants would fetch over $900,000 in Asia, North America and Europe, magistrate says
- Kenya Wildlife Service warns against biodiversity plunder
Nairobi, Kenya – A Kenyan court has handed down landmark fines to four men involved in the attempted trafficking of thousands of rare queen ants, in a case that experts say signals a shift in global biopiracy from iconic species like elephants to lesser-known but ecologically vital insects.
Magistrate Njeri Thuku on Wednesday fined each of the men $7,700 or sentenced them to 12 months in jail if unable to pay, after they pleaded guilty to illegally dealing in live wildlife species. The court heard that the group—two Belgian nationals, a Vietnamese man, and a Kenyan—were attempting to smuggle roughly 5,440 Messor cephalotes queen ants, a species critical to Kenya’s soil health and broader ecosystem.
The suspects were arrested on April 5 at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in two separate smuggling attempts. Authorities say the ants were destined for the lucrative European and Asian exotic pet trade, where individual colonies can fetch as much as €1,200 each.
“These were not isolated actions,” Magistrate Thuku said. “The operation bore all the hallmarks of illegal wildlife trade and possibly biopiracy.”
According to Thuku, Duh Heng Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, was dispatched to Nairobi to collect the ants from a Kenyan contact, Dennis Nganga, in what she described as an “elaborate scheme.” Drawing parallels to the drug trade, the magistrate called Nguyen a “mule or courier,” highlighting the presence of organised trafficking networks.
The two Belgian suspects, identified in court as Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, claimed to be amateur ant enthusiasts. However, evidence from David’s phone revealed he was part of an online group called “Ant Gang” and had initially purchased 2,500 queen ants for just $200—a fraction of their actual market value.
“There is no justification for being found with 5,000 queen ants,” Thuku said. “This is beyond a hobby. If it happened to any larger species, it would be considered an act of ecological genocide.”
Ants, particularly queen ants, are highly sought after by hobbyists who maintain colonies in transparent formicariums to observe their complex social behaviour. Queen ants are the only members of a colony capable of reproduction, making them essential for the survival and growth of ant colonies. Removing such large numbers from their natural habitat threatens entire ecosystems.
“Ants are superorganisms,” said Dr. Dino Martins, one of Kenya’s leading entomologists. “From a single queen, you get thousands of individuals working together to maintain soil health, seed dispersal, and ecological balance.”
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) described the Messor cephalotes as a keystone species and praised the ruling as a deterrent against future biopiracy.
“Whether it’s an ant or an elephant, we will pursue traffickers relentlessly,” said KWS Director General Erustus Kanga. “Today’s ruling sends an unequivocal message: Kenya will not tolerate the plunder of its biodiversity.”
While the export of wildlife is permitted under Kenyan law with proper licensing, conservationists note that the regulatory framework remains opaque and difficult to navigate—making enforcement both critical and complex.
As global demand grows for exotic and rare species in niche pet markets, conservationists warn that smaller organisms like ants could face mounting threats, even as the world’s attention remains focused on high-profile animal trafficking.
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