Kenya, April 15 -- Four people, including two from Belgium, one from Vietnam, and one from Kenya, have admitted to breaking the law by having and selling live queen ants.
The two Belgians were taken to court after being caught on April 5, 2025, at a guest house in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
They had about 5,000 live queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes. The total value of these ants is about Ksh1 million, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
They were charged with dealing in wildlife without a permit, which is against Section 95(c) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act in Kenya.
Queen ants are very valuable. The common types can sell for between Ksh200 and Ksh1,000.
The larger and rarer ones can go for Ksh1,500 to Ksh5,000. The most exotic or hard-to-catch queen ants can reach prices between Ksh6,000 and Ksh15,000.
In a different case, a Vietnamese man and his Kenyan partner were charged with having and selling about 400 live queen ants, worth Ksh200,000.
They were reported to have committed this crime between April 5 and April 6, at a well-known hotel in Nairobi and at an apartment in Syokimau.
All four accused appeared in front of Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku and admitted their guilt. The court has postponed the case to April 15, 2025, so the prosecution can present more details and evidence.
The accused will stay at the JKIA Police Station until Tuesday while the court decides what will happen next.
This case is part of ongoing efforts to fight illegal wildlife trade, which is a big concern for conservation.
Recently, Kenya has made commitments to stop illegal wildlife trafficking at airports and other entry points.
In 2018, another Vietnamese man was caught at the JKIA with items from wildlife, including lion teeth and claws. In 2023, three people were charged for trying to illegally send safari ants worth Ksh300,000 to France.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.