US EditionBelgian teens arrested with 5,000 smuggled ants as Kenya warns of changing trafficking trends
- Two Belgian teenagers, David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, were charged with wildlife piracy on Tuesday in Nairobi.
- Kenyan authorities reported this incident as part of a growing trend in trafficking smaller, ecologically vital species.
- Authorities discovered the teenagers possessed approximately 5,000 ants, including Messor cephalotes, a harvester ant from East Africa.
- The men stated to the magistrate that they collected ants for fun and were unaware of its illegality.
- The KWS considers the case a landmark, highlighting a shift from trafficking mammals to ecologically critical species.
112 Articles
112 Articles
Even the ants in their small way are smuggled: in Europe and Asia they are sold for 2,000 euros each
These are rare specimens that are in high demand outside Africa. Five thousand specimens were seized from two Belgian tourists locked in test tubes. “Attention, once in the destination countries they can cause serious problems.”
Two teens busted for smuggling 5,000 ants
Nairobi police nabbed two Belgian teenagers for wildlife piracy. Apparently they were caught with 5,000 ants—not in their pants but packed in test tubes at a guest house where they were staying. Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, 19, told a judge they were just collecting the queen ants for fun and were unaware that it was prohibited. — Read the rest The post Two teens busted for smuggling 5,000 ants appeared first on Boing Boing.
Kenya arrests 4 suspected ant traffickers, seize 5,300 harvester ants
In two separate but related incidents, Kenyan authorities have arrested four suspects for illegally possessing and attempting to smuggle some 5,300 ants valued at about 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($9,250), destined for the exotic pet trade. The ants, which included the giant harvester ants (Messor cephalotes), were being trafficked to Asia and Europe. In the […]
Airport officers make bizarre discovery after canine sniffs out suspicious package: 'Significant consequences'
Three people are facing trial in Kenya for their alleged roles in a scheme to smuggle enormous ants to China. What's happening? The trial stems from a 2023 incident at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The Standard reported that a dog sniffed out a suspicious package that had been declared as plastic and wooden carvings. "When we opened it, we found live ants concealed inside," airport canine handler Elkhana Nakhumicha testified. Dozens of th…
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