Two Teenagers Arrested in Kenya for Smuggling 5,000 Live Ants Worth $7,700
In a bizarre twist to wildlife smuggling, four men — including two Belgian teenagers — have pleaded guilty in a Kenyan court to illegally trafficking thousands of live ants, authorities said this week.
The ants, specifically queen ants of the Messor cephalotes species, are highly sought after by collectors and were allegedly headed to lucrative exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
Smugglers Caught With Test Tubes Full of Ants
According to New York Post, the two 19-year-olds, David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, were arrested at a guesthouse near Lake Naivasha, a popular nature destination in Kenya.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), authorities discovered thousands of queen ants delicately packed in syringes and test tubes — equipment specially designed to keep the insects alive for months.
Authorities estimate the ant shipment to be worth around $7,000. Intelligence reports suggest the insects were part of an illegal trade operation targeting rare species for sale as exotic pets overseas.
We Were Just Having Fun,’ Say Belgians
Appearing in court on Tuesday, the Belgian teenagers looked visibly shaken and told the judge they had been collecting the ants “for fun.”
Despite their emotional appearance, both pleaded guilty and are currently awaiting sentencing.
Smaller Creatures, Bigger Black Market
The agency emphasized that smuggling lesser-known species like ants is part of a broader trend that threatens biodiversity and robs local communities of economic and ecological benefits.
While wildlife smuggling is often associated with ivory or big cats, authorities have noticed a shift — from coral bits to beetles and now ants — in the illegal trade of smaller species.
Kenyan and Vietnamese Nationals Also Charged
In a separate but related case, Kenyan national Dennis N’gang’a and Vietnamese citizen Duh Hung Nguyen were arrested and charged with illegally collecting and dealing in live wildlife. They were caught with hundreds of live garden ants valued at roughly $1,500, authorities said.
Photos released by the KWS show a makeshift lab inside a living room, with test tubes, cotton swabs, and packing materials scattered across tables. Some tubes housed multiple ants in separate compartments, built to sustain the insects for up to two months.