Four people — two Belgian nationals, one Vietnamese citizen, and a Kenyan — have admitted to being involved in the illegal possession and trade of live queen ants, a rare and valuable insect species.
The two Belgians were arrested on April 5, 2025, at a guest house in the Lake View area of Naivasha, Nakuru County.
They were later arraigned at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts. Authorities found them in possession of around 5,000 live queen ants, which had been carefully stored in 2,244 small tubes.
The ants were reportedly worth approximately Ksh1 million on the black market, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The Belgians now face charges of handling and trading in wildlife species without the necessary permits, which is against Section 95(c) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, Cap 376 of Kenyan law.
Queen ants are particularly sought after for their rarity and use in ant-keeping hobbies and research. Prices vary depending on the species.
Common types can sell for between Ksh200 and Ksh1,000, while rarer and larger queens are priced between Ksh1,500 and Ksh5,000. Exotic and hard-to-find queen ants can fetch between Ksh6,000 and Ksh15,000 each.
In a different but related case, a Vietnamese citizen and his Kenyan associate were also arrested and charged with the illegal possession and trade of approximately 400 live queen ants.
These ants had a street value estimated at Ksh200,000.
The two were accused of committing the offence between April 5 and April 6, 2025, at two different locations — a well-known hotel in Nairobi’s central business district and an apartment in Syokimau.
All four suspects appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku and pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
The court has set April 15, 2025, as the date for the prosecution to lay out the full details of the case and present the physical evidence collected during the arrests.
Until then, the accused will remain in custody at the JKIA Police Station as they await the court’s final ruling.
This case highlights an ongoing issue of illegal wildlife trafficking that continues to challenge Kenya’s conservation efforts.
The country has made commitments on an international level to crack down on wildlife crimes, especially at border points like airports and seaports.
This is not the first case involving exotic insects or animal parts. In 2018, another Vietnamese individual was caught at JKIA with eight lion canine teeth, three lion claws, and two warthog teeth.
More recently, in 2023, three individuals were charged with illegally exporting safari ants worth Ksh300,000 to France.
Authorities say these continued efforts are part of a broader plan to stop the exploitation of Kenya’s unique wildlife species for illegal international trade.
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