The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Wednesday urged the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court to impose a severe sentence on four individuals who pleaded guilty to possessing over 5,000 live queen garden ants valued at Sh1.2 million.
The accused — Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, and Kenyan national Dennis Ng’ang’a — were arraigned last week before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku.
They admitted to the charge of illegal possession of the ants.
During Wednesday’s court proceedings, 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.
These containers are engineered to bypass airport scanners and can sustain live ants for up to two months, complicating detection efforts.
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. Since 2019, authorities have reported a growing number of similar interceptions at JKIA and at courier facilities in Nairobi, Gilgil, and Naivasha.
The report revealed that trafficked ants are frequently declared as wooden carvings or toys.
In the local supply chain, a single queen ant is sold to brokers for around Ksh 50, who then resell them for approximately Ksh 150. In European markets, however, they can fetch between 60 and 100 Euros each (Sh9000 and Ksh. 15,000), used primarily for culinary and decorative purposes.
The DPP 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.
The court is scheduled to deliver its sentencing on May 7, 2025.
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