A Kenyan magistrate has set May 7, 2025, as the sentencing date for four suspects involved in an unprecedented case of illegal ant trafficking, marking a major legal milestone in Kenya’s fight against biodiversity crimes. Presiding Magistrate Njeri Thuku made the announcement during a Wednesday hearing at a Nairobi court after receiving a detailed victim impact statement prepared by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The report, titled “Illegal Ant Trafficking from Kenya to Asia, Europe and America,” outlined the global scale and ecological risks associated with the case.
“In this instance, the prosecution has gone one step further by preparing a victim impact statement, which explains why the live ants were trafficked. Therefore, I am not proceeding with sentencing today. It will take place on May 7 at 09:30 A.M.,” Magistrate Thuku said in court.
The case involves two Belgian nationals, 19-year-olds Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, who were arrested on April 5 in Nakuru County after authorities discovered 5,000 ants packed into 2,244 test tubes at a local guest house. The tubes had been lined with cotton wool to sustain the insects during international transport. Both appeared visibly distressed in court and were supported by family members. They claimed they were unaware their actions were illegal, stating they had been collecting the ants “for fun.”
In a separate but related case, Kenyan citizen Dennis Ng’ang’a and Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen were also arrested and charged in Nairobi, found in possession of 400 ants stored in similar test tubes within their apartment.
The trafficked ants, primarily of the Messor cephalotes species — a large, red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa — are valued for their unique ecological behaviors and are in demand among exotic pet collectors and entomology enthusiasts in Europe and Asia. According to KWS, the total value of the seized ants is estimated at 1 million Kenyan shillings (approximately $7,700). The agency emphasized that the illicit trade in these ants “not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits.”
“This case highlights a troubling shift in wildlife trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals like elephants and rhinos to lesser-known, yet ecologically vital, species such as ants,” KWS said in a public statement. Kenyan authorities have been intensifying efforts to combat wildlife crimes of all scales, and conservation experts have applauded the government for pursuing prosecution in this unique case.
Environmental legal analysts say the May 7 sentencing could set a precedent for future prosecutions involving smaller fauna and signal to traffickers that no species is too small to be protected under Kenyan law.
