Four people have been sentenced in a landmark case involving the illegal trafficking of live garden ants.

Two Belgian nationals – Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx – a Vietnamese citizen, Duh Hung, and a Kenyan, Dennis Ng’ang’a, were ordered to pay a fine of KES 1 million each or serve a custodial sentence of 12 months.

JKIA Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku convicted the four for violating the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.

The accused were arrested on April 23, 2025, after attempting to traffic approximately 5,000 live Messor cephalotes (Garden Ants)with an estimated street value of KES 1.2 million without the requisite permits.

The ants, a critical species in maintaining soil health and ecosystem balance, were intercepted by authorities at JKIA.

The four pleaded guilty to the charges of illegal possession and trade of live wildlife trophies.

In her ruling, the Magistrate underscored the collective responsibility to safeguard Kenya’s biodiversity, saying no species is too small to protect.

“Our wildlife, from ants to elephants, sustains our ecosystems and national heritage.” She noted.