Flemish teenagers in Kenyan prison for smuggling ants

A strange story reaches us from Naivasha, located in Nakuru County northwest of Nairobi, Kenya. Two Belgians, barely 18 years old, must appear before the court there for smuggling 5,000 live queen ants.

The teenagers from the Mol region in the Belgian Kempen are currently in prison in Kenya and are awaiting the continuation of their trial. They attempted to take ants to Belgium. These special queen ants are worth up to 200 euros each, and the Belgian teenagers paid only a few thousand euros for the animals in Kenya. It appears they intended to smuggle the ants illegally to Belgium, to then sell them for a multiple of the price on the black market.

However, it is not permitted at all to capture, keep, or trade this protected species. Altogether, about 5,000 ants were discovered in 2,244 tubes. The tubes contained cotton wool to keep the ants moist during transport.

The trial of David L. and Seppe L. started on Monday (14/04) before a special court at the airport of the capital Nairobi. The Kenyan judiciary reports that the Belgian teenagers have pleaded guilty. The case will continue on 23 April, until then they remain in custody.

The ants have been confiscated and will be released back into the wild.

(FVDV - Source: Het Nieuwsblad/GVA/Kenya Wildlife Service - Illustration image: ©Unsplash)