FOUR men have pleaded guilty in Kenya to trying to smuggle hundreds of highly sought-after ants out of the country.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, has described this as a “landmark case”.
The contraband included giant African harvester ants, which are valued by some UK dealers at up to £170 ($220) each.
The case showed a “disturbing shift in trafficking patterns – from iconic mammals to lesser-known species that are vital to ecological balance”, the KWS said.
The suspects had concealed the creatures in “specially modified test tubes and syringes” which would have enabled the insects to survive for two months, the KWS said.
There was also a “calculated attempt to bypass security systems” by obscuring the contents of the tubes.
Photographs of the illegal haul shared by the KWS show hundreds of these containers packed with cotton wool, each with two or three ants.
The insects were destined for Europe and Asia where collectors keep them as pets, the KWS said
The exact number of insects involved is still being evaluated but KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto told the BBC this was the country’s first case of “bio-piracy” on this scale.
The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan – were arrested after what the KWS has described as “a co-ordinated, intelligence-led operation”.
It is believed that the intended destinations were the exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
