Belgian teenagers fined for attempting to smuggle ants from Kenya
Two Belgian teenagers arrested in Kenya last month for attempting to smuggle protected ant species have been fined 1 million Kenyan shillings (approximately 6,800 euros), according to the Associated Press. The pair were caught trying to leave the country with around 5,000 live ants.
During the sentencing in Nairobi, the judge reviewed earlier testimony in which David L and Seppe L, both 18, admitted they had been “naive” and claimed they collected the ants as a hobby. However, the court noted that they had not taken just a few insects but thousands, belonging to a highly valuable and protected species.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the two had taken deliberate steps to conceal the animals, buying test tubes and syringes “to keep the ants alive for up to two months and to evade detection by airport security”. KWS has accused the teenagers of engaging in "bio-piracy".
The fine imposed is roughly equivalent to the estimated street value of the seized ants. Should the pair fail to pay, they face a one-year prison sentence.
In addition to the two Belgians, a man from Vietnam and one from Kenya were also arrested in connection with the case. Authorities say they were carrying approximately 400 ants.
The ants in question are Messor cephalotes, the world’s largest species of harvester ant, found only in Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya. They are prized by collectors and can command widely varying prices.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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