KWS Statement On Live Ant Smuggling Case

Four suspects, including two Belgian nationals, one Vietnamese national, and one Kenyan citizen, pleaded guilty before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Court in a landmark case involving the illegal trafficking and biopiracy of live ants, including the ecologically significant Messor cephalotes species, which is native to Kenya.

The suspects were charged with illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku at the JKIA Law Courts in Nairobi. The arrests were made after authorities intercepted live queen ants concealed in specially modified test tubes and syringes. This case not only marks a serious wildlife crime but also constitutes biopiracy, as it involves the unlawful access and attempted export of Kenya's genetic resources without prior informed consent or benefit-sharing, in direct violation of national law and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing.

Investigations revealed that the test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection, including X-ray scanners. Cotton wool was used to maintain the ants' survival during transit, indicating a premeditated and well-executed trafficking operation. The suspects entered Kenya on tourist visas and, according to intelligence reports, intended to smuggle the ants to high-value exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, where demand for rare insect species is rising.

The intercepted ants, particularly the highly sought-after Messor cephalotes, are prized by collectors for their unique behavior, complex colony-building capabilities, and greenhouse pest control. These traits make them popular in formicariums—artificial ant habitats—driving their illicit trade and illegal removal from the wild.