Four ant smugglers to be sentenced in May, JKIA court rule
They admitted to the charge of illegal possession of the ants
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Court is set to sentence four queen ants smugglers; two Belgian Nationals, Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, a Vietnamese national, Duh Hung Nguyen, and a Kenyan national, Dennis Ng’ang’a on May 7, 2025.
This is after the four pleaded guilty to possessing over 5,000 live queen garden ants valued at Sh1.2 million.
The four who appeared for a hearing today before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku, after their arraignment last week.
In today’s proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution led by Allen Mulama, Paula Rono, and
Bramwel Shitsama presented a comprehensive report from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), highlighting the ecological and economic significance of the ants, as well as the rising threat of biological material smuggling.
According to the report, the ants were smuggled using specially modified test tubes manufactured in China.
The DPP stated that the containers are engineered to bypass airport scanners and can sustain live ants for up to two months, complicating detection efforts.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) described the case as a stark example of an emerging trend in wildlife crime involving the trafficking of live insects, including queen ants and praying mantises.
The prosecution 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.
Since 2019, authorities have reported a growing number of similar interceptions at JKIA and 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 Sh50, who then resell them for approximately Sh150.
In European markets, however, they can fetch between 60 and 100 Euros each (Sh9000 and Sh15,000). The ants are used primarily for culinary and decorative purposes.
