Latest news with #DavidLornoy
IOL News
12-05-2025
- IOL News
Rare-ant smugglers sentenced in African state
Two Belgians, a Vietnamese, and a Kenyan have pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking and await sentencing on April 23 in Kenya Image: Kenya Wildlife Services A Kenyan court has sentenced four individuals to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 each for attempting to illegally export thousands of live ants, including a rare species, the BBC reported. The convicted individuals, two Belgian nationals, one Vietnamese, and a Kenyan, were apprehended last month in Naivasha, a town in western Kenya, where they were found in possession of approximately 5,000 queen ants. Among the species collected was Messor cephalotes, a rare variety also referred to as the Giant African Harvester Ant. During the court proceedings, the accused pleaded guilty and claimed they were unaware that collecting the ants for hobbyist purposes was a criminal offense. However, the presiding judge noted in Wednesday's ruling that the quantity and type of ants involved indicated a deliberate effort to exploit valuable wildlife, adding that the offenders were not simply in possession of a few specimens. According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the seized ants were reportedly intended for exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia. The smuggled ants, according to dealers in the UK, can be worth as much as £170 ($220) apiece. Commenting on the insects' popularity, Pat Stanchev, the general manager of the insect-trading website Best Ants UK, told the BBC that their appeal lies in their distinctive and beautiful appearance. KWS revealed that the suspects had prepared test tubes capable of sustaining the ants for up to two months, specifically to bypass airport screening procedures. The organization described the operation as 'premeditated' and called it a landmark in trafficking trends that shift from traditional poaching of large mammals toward lesser-known species. One of the Belgian nationals, David Lornoy, told Reuters that the group had not intended to violate any laws. 'We did not come here to break any laws. By accident and stupidity we did,' he said, appealing for leniency. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
RTÉ News
07-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants
A Kenyan court has fined four people, including two Belgian teenagers, more than $7,000 (€6,163) for attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country. The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in "bio-piracy". David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Dennis Nganga of Kenya, all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but denied seeking to traffic them. Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160km from the capital Nairobi. Duh and Nganga were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers, according to a charge sheet. The two cases were separate but all four were tried together. Lornoy was described as an "ant enthusiast" who kept colonies at home in Belgium and was member of a Facebook group called "Ants and Ant Keeping", according to the sentencing report. He told investigators he was not aware that transporting the ants was illegal. Police had put the value of the ants taken by the Belgians at one million shillings ($7,740). The haul included the rare Messor cephalotes species, a single queen ant of which currently sells for at least $99, according to the court report. Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, with suspects normally subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and five years or more in prison. The court ultimately sentenced all four to a fine of one million shillings ($7,740), or a year in prison if they failed to pay. The court said Lornoy and Seppe "do not come across as typical poachers" and were ignorant of the law. But it said the case reflected a script "that has been played out before in centuries gone by... of Africa having resources that are plundered by the West and now the East". The KWS said their action was not only a "wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy". The suspects "intended to smuggle the ants to high-value exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, where demand for rare insect species is rising", it said in a statement.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Time of India
Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants
NAIROBI: A Kenyan court on Wednesday fined four people, including two Belgian teenagers, more than $7,000 for attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country. The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in "bio-piracy". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Dennis Nganga of Kenya all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but denied seeking to traffic them. Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Nairobi. Duh and Nganga were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP. The two cases were separate but all four were tried together. Lornoy was described as an "ant enthusiast" who kept colonies at home in Belgium and was member of a Facebook group called "Ants and Ant Keeping", according to the sentencing report. He told investigators he was not aware that transporting the ants was illegal. Police had put the value of the ants taken by the Belgians at one million shillings ($7,740). The haul included the rare Messor cephalotes species, a single queen ant of which currently sells for at least $99, according to the court report. Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, with suspects normally subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and five years or more in prison. The court ultimately sentenced all four to a fine of one million shillings ($7,740), or a year in prison if they failed to pay. The court said Lornoy and Seppe "do not come across as typical poachers" and were ignorant of the law. But it said the case reflected a script "that has been played out before in centuries gone by... Tired of too many ads? go ad free now of Africa having resources that are plundered by the West and now the East". The KWS said their action was not only a "wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy". The suspects "intended to smuggle the ants to high-value in Europe and Asia, where demand for rare insect species is rising", it said in a statement.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants
A Kenyan court on Wednesday fined four people, including two Belgian teenagers, more than $7,000 for attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country. The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in "bio-piracy". David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Dennis Nganga of Kenya all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but denied seeking to traffic them. Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Nairobi. Duh and Nganga were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP. The two cases were separate but all four were tried together. Lornoy was described as an "ant enthusiast" who kept colonies at home in Belgium and was member of a Facebook group called "Ants and Ant Keeping", according to the sentencing report. He told investigators he was not aware that transporting the ants was illegal. Police had put the value of the ants taken by the Belgians at one million shillings ($7,740). The haul included the rare Messor cephalotes species, a single queen ant of which currently sells for at least $99, according to the court report. Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, with suspects normally subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and five years or more in prison. The court ultimately sentenced all four to a fine of one million shillings ($7,740), or a year in prison if they failed to pay. The court said Lornoy and Seppe "do not come across as typical poachers" and were ignorant of the law. But it said the case reflected a script "that has been played out before in centuries gone by... of Africa having resources that are plundered by the West and now the East". The KWS said their action was not only a "wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy". The suspects "intended to smuggle the ants to high-value exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, where demand for rare insect species is rising", it said in a statement. str-er/rlp
France 24
07-05-2025
- France 24
Kenya court fines ant smugglers for 'bio-piracy'
The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in "bio-piracy". David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam and Dennis Nganga of Kenya all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but denied seeking to traffic them. Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital Nairobi. Duh and Nganga were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP. The two cases were separate but all four were tried together. Lornoy was described as an "ant enthusiast" who kept colonies at home in Belgium and was member of a Facebook group called "Ants and Ant Keeping", according to the sentencing report. He told investigators he was not aware that transporting the ants was illegal. Police had put the value of the ants taken by the Belgians at one million shillings ($7,740). The haul included the rare Messor cephalotes species, a single queen ant of which currently sells for at least $99, according to the court report. Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offence in Kenya, with suspects normally subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and five years or more in prison. The court ultimately sentenced all four to a fine of one million shillings ($7,740), or a year in prison if they failed to pay. The court said Lornoy and Seppe "do not come across as typical poachers" and were ignorant of the law. But it said the case reflected a script "that has been played out before in centuries gone by... of Africa having resources that are plundered by the West and now the East". The KWS said their action was not only a "wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy".
