Kenyan Court Cracks Down on Growing Insect Smuggling Trade: Ant Traffickers Fined KSh 1 Million Each

NAIROBI, May 7, 2025 — In a pair of precedent-setting rulings, a Nairobi court has sentenced four individuals—two Kenyan and two Belgian nationals—to KSh 1 million fines each or one-year imprisonment over illegal wildlife trafficking involving thousands of live ants. The cases, described by the presiding magistrate as an opportunity to “spotlight an offence whose devastation is not immediately seen,” have stirred local and global debate about insect trafficking and bio-piracy.

The Offenders and the Offence

In separate but related cases, Duh Hung Nguyen (Chinese National) and Dennis Nganga (Kenyan National), and Belgian citizens Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, pleaded guilty to dealing in live wildlife species—specifically, the Giant African Harvester Ant (Messor cephalotes)—without the requisite permits, in violation of Section 95(c) of Kenya’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.

Nguyen and Nganga were arrested in Nairobi and Machakos with 140 ants pre-packaged in syringes and 300 more awaiting packing. Meanwhile, Lornoy and Seppe were nabbed in Naivasha with approximately 5,000 queen ants stored in 2,244 test tubes. The ants were valued collectively at over KSh 1.2 million and were believed to be destined for overseas markets, where collectors and researchers prize them as exotic pets and for educational or therapeutic purposes.

From Hobby to International Crime

What might sound like a niche hobby has raised serious ecological and ethical alarms. According to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Museums of Kenya, overharvesting of ant species like Messor cephalotes, which are only found in East Africa, poses dire threats to biodiversity. These ants are vital for soil aeration, seed dispersion, and natural pest control. The mass removal of queen ants—a colony's only reproductive unit—was described by the court as tantamount to “genocidal harvesting.”

The court’s findings revealed a pattern akin to organized crime. Nguyen admitted to being a courier, paid to collect ants and connected to a network spanning multiple counties. Lornoy, described as an ant enthusiast with prior knowledge of ant seasons, was linked to an online group called the "Ant Gang" and had previously purchased thousands of ants from local suppliers.

Court Delivers a Stern Message

In delivering the sentences, Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku stressed the role of the judiciary in protecting “all creatures great and small.” She cited historical parallels to colonial-era biopiracy and warned against the modern equivalent—illicit trafficking in biodiversity, often hidden under the guise of hobbies or education.

“This court will do what it can to protect the wildlife in Kenya,” she said, calling on lawmakers and enforcement agencies to revise legal frameworks to reflect the rising threat posed by invertebrate trafficking. Currently, Messor cephalotes is not listed under CITES or Kenya’s own endangered species schedule, creating a legal grey area for enforcement.

Still, the magistrate opted for a tempered sentence, acknowledging the remorse shown by the offenders, their youth, and lack of prior records. All four men were granted the option to pay a fine or serve a 12-month prison term. Upon payment or completion of their sentences, they are to be repatriated to their respective home countries.

A Call to Action

Both rulings urged a national and continental conversation on sustainable use of biodiversity. The judgments called for consideration of frameworks like the Nagoya Protocol, which advocates for fair benefit-sharing from genetic resources. The court posed thought-provoking questions: Could Kenya commercialize invertebrate species responsibly? Can museums or KWS host legal displays and exports of native insect species?

As the illicit wildlife trade expands beyond ivory and rhino horn to beetles, tarantulas, and ants, Kenya’s legal system appears poised to adapt. These cases, while rooted in peculiar circumstances, may mark the beginning of a new frontier in wildlife conservation.