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Kenyan court sentences ant smugglers to $7,700 fine or one-year in prison Kenyan court sentences ant smugglers to $7,700 fine or one-year in prison
(about 2 hours later)
The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan - had pleaded guiltyThe four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan - had pleaded guilty
A Kenyan court has sentenced four men to one year in prison or pay a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for trying to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country.A Kenyan court has sentenced four men to one year in prison or pay a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for trying to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country.
The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan – were arrested last month with 5,000 ants at a guest house in the western town of Naivasha. The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan – were arrested last month with live ants suspected to have been destined for collectors in Europe and Asia.
They had pleaded guilty to the charges and told the court that they were collecting the highly sought-after ants as a hobby and didn't think it was illegal. They had pleaded guilty to the charges, with the Belgians telling the court that they were collecting the highly sought-after ants as a hobby and didn't think it was illegal.
But delivering the sentence on Wednesday, the court said the particular species of ants collected was valuable and they had thousands of them — not just a few.But delivering the sentence on Wednesday, the court said the particular species of ants collected was valuable and they had thousands of them — not just a few.
It is believed that the ants were intended for exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
The contraband included giant African harvester ants, which are valued by some UK dealers at up to £170 ($220) each.The contraband included giant African harvester ants, which are valued by some UK dealers at up to £170 ($220) each.
Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen and Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a, were handed similar terms after the magistrate considered their mitigation arguments.Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen and Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a, were handed similar terms after the magistrate considered their mitigation arguments.
The Belgians were found with 5,000 ants, while Nguyen and Ng'ang'a had 300. The Belgians were found with 5,000 ants while the other two were found with more than 300 ants in their apartments.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, has described this as a "landmark case". The ants were packed in more than 2,000 test tubes filled with cotton wool to help them survive for months, authorities said.
The case showed a "disturbing shift in trafficking patterns - from iconic mammals to lesser-known species that are vital to ecological balance", the KWS said last month when the four were arrested.
The Belgian teens had entered Kenya on a tourist visa and were staying in Naivasha, a town popular with tourists for its animal parks and lakes.The Belgian teens had entered Kenya on a tourist visa and were staying in Naivasha, a town popular with tourists for its animal parks and lakes.
The KWS said the demand for rare insect species was growing. Nguyen, 23, was described by the court as a "mule or courier" as he was just sent to pick up the ants and the person who sent him paid for his ticket.
The court said Ng'ang'a, 26, acted as a "broker" due to his knowledge of the ants that are found in his rural home.
While sentencing Nguyen and Ng'ang'a, Magistrate Njeri Thuku said they were involved in what she described as "illegal wildlife trade and possibly bio-piracy".
"Already the world has lost a number of species due in part to greed. It is time to stem this tide," Ms Thuku said, adding: "This court will do what it can to protect all creatures great and small."
David, an ant enthusiast with 10 colonies of ants at home in Belgium, belongs to a Facebook group called "Ant Gang", the court heard.
The Belgian teen, who first visited Kenya five years ago, said he had bought 2,500 queen ants for $200 when he was arrested looking for more.
While pleading for leniency, David told the court he did not know his actions, which he regretted, were illegal.
For his part, Lodewijckx said he had only offered to buy the ants for his entomology interest but his intention was not to traffic them.
But the magistrate said the crime committed by the Belgian teens was "beyond a hobby".
"There was no justification for being found with 5,000 queen ants. None at all," Ms Thuku said.
The ants were packed in more than 2,000 test tubes filled with cotton wool
The court ordered the three foreigners to be repatriated to their country of origin upon payment of the fine or completion of the prison term.
In a statement, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) hailed the ruling as a "testament to Kenya's zero-tolerance stance on wildlife trafficking".
The agency said the case sent a clear message that Kenya would "relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone involved in the illegal wildlife trade, regardless of the species involved".
"Traffickers often underestimate the ecological value of smaller species, but their role in our ecosystems is irreplaceable," it added.
The KWS, which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, had earlier described this as a "landmark case", warning that the demand for rare insect species was growing.
In Kenya, the ants are protected by international bio-diversity treaties and their trade is highly regulated.In Kenya, the ants are protected by international bio-diversity treaties and their trade is highly regulated.
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