Belgian teens arrested with 5,000 smuggled ants

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Nairobi, Kenya (AP) – Two Belgian teenagers have been accused of wildlife piracy because they were found thousands of ants huddled in test tubes, part of what Kenyan authorities say is a trend to traffic in smaller and less well-known species.

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Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds, were arrested on April 5, and 5,000 ants appeared in a magistrate in Nairobi when they showed up and were comforted by relatives in court. They told the magistrate that they were collecting ants entertainment, but did not know that it was illegal.

In another criminal case, Kenya Dennis Ng’ang and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen were also charged with illegal trafficking in the same court because they were arrested with possession of 400 ants.

Kenya Wildlife Service said the four men were involved in trafficking ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species includes Messor Cephalotes, a unique, large and red harvester that is from East Africa.

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In a statement, KWS said illegal exports “not only undermine Kenya’s sovereign rights to biodiversity, but also deprive the potential ecological and economic benefits of local communities and research institutions.”

Kenya has fought against the body parts of large wildlife such as elephants, rhinos and clothing, such as large wildlife such as elephants, rhinos. But the case against these four men represents a “turnover of trafficking trends – from iconic large mammals to lesser-known but ecologically crucial species”.

The two Belgians were arrested in Kenya’s Nakuru County, which is home to various national parks. 5,000 ants were found in a hotel where they lived and were loaded in 2,2444444444 test tubes filled with lint to keep the ants alive for months.

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Two other men were arrested in Nairobi and found in their apartment with 400 ants.

Kenyan authorities rate 1 million shillings ($7,700). The price of ants varies greatly depending on species and market.

Philip Muruthi, vice president of conservation at the Nairobi Africa Wildlife Foundation, said ants play the role of enriching soil, promoting germination and providing food to species such as birds.

“The truth is, when you see a healthy forest like Ngong Forest, you don’t think of anything that makes it healthy. It’s a relationship from bacteria to ants to bigger things,” he said.

Muruthi warned that species trafficking and exporting diseases to agricultural industries in destination countries.

“Even if there is trade, it should be regulated and no one should adopt our resources like this,” he said.

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