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New York Post
07-05-2025
- New York Post
Belgian teens found with 5,000 ants in Kenya given two options for their punishment
Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya were given a choice of paying a fine of $7,700 or serving 12 months in prison — the minimum penalty for the offense — for violating wildlife conservation laws. Authorities said the ants were destined for European and Asian markets in an emerging trend of trafficking lesser-known wildlife species. Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house in Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. They were charged on April 15. 7 Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx appear at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya, after being found with 5,000 ants. AFP via Getty Images 7 The two teenagers face a 7,700 fine or a year in prison for violating wildlife conservation laws. AP Magistrate Njeri Thuku, sitting at the court in Kenya's main airport on Wednesday, said in her ruling that despite the teenagers telling the court they were naïve and collecting the ants as a hobby, the particular species of ants they collected is valuable and they had thousands of them — not just a few. The Kenya Wildlife Service had said the teenagers were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa. 'This is beyond a hobby. Indeed, there is a biting shortage of messor cepholates online,' Thuku said in her ruling. The teenagers' lawyer, Halima Nyakinyua, described the sentencing as 'fair' and said her clients would not appeal. 'When the statutes prescribe a specific minimum amount, the court cannot go lower than that. So, even if we went to the court of appeal, the court is not going to revise that,' she said. The illegal export of the ants 'not only undermines Kenya's sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,' KWS said in a statement. 7 According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, David and Lodewijckx were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia. REUTERS 7 Lornoy and Lodewijckx arrive for their sentencing, after they pleaded guilty of illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants. REUTERS 7 A relative of Lornoy David reacts during a hearing. REUTERS In a separate but related case, two other men charged after they were found with 400 ants were also fined $7,700 each with an option of serving 12 months in prison. Duh Hung Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, told the court that he was sent to pick up the ants and arrived at Kenya's main airport where he met his contact person, Dennis Ng'ang'a, and together they travelled to meet the locals who sell the ants. Ng'ang'a, who is from Kenya, had said he didn't know it was illegal because ants are sold and eaten locally. 7 David (L) and Seppe Lodewijckx sit with fellow accused Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen (2nd R) and Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a (R), who face charges of illegal possession and attempted export of protected wildlife in Nairobi. AFP via Getty Images 7 Live queen ants insects that were destined for Europe and Asia, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya. AP Magistrate Thuku during the ruling described Ng'ang'a and Nguyen's meet-up as 'part of an elaborate scheme.' Experts in Kenya have in recent days warned of an emerging trend to traffic lesser-known wildlife species. Entomologist Shadrack Muya, a senior lecturer at Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, told The Associated Press that garden ants are important for aerating soils, enhancing soil fertility and dispersing seeds. 'Ants play a very important role in the environment and their disturbance, which is also their removal, will lead to disruption of the ecosystem,' he said. Muya warned against taking ants from their natural habitats, saying they were unlikely to survive if not supported to adapt to their new environment. 'Survival in the new environment will depend on the interventions that are likely to take place. Where it has been taken away from, there is a likelihood of an ecological disaster that may happen due to that disturbance,' he said.
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya given $7,700 fine or 1-year prison sentence
Published May 07, 2025 • 2 minute read Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx appear at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Photo by Brian Inganga / AP Photo NAIROBI, Kenya — Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya were given a choice of paying a fine of US$7,700 or serving 12 months in prison — the minimum penalty for the offence — for violating wildlife conservation laws. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Authorities said the ants were destined for European and Asian markets in an emerging trend of trafficking lesser-known wildlife species. Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house in Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. They were charged on April 15. Magistrate Njeri Thuku, sitting at the court in Kenya's main airport on Wednesday, said in her ruling that despite the teenagers telling the court they were naive and collecting the ants as a hobby, the particular species of ants they collected is valuable and they had thousands of them — not just a few. The Kenya Wildlife Service had said the teenagers were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-coloured harvester ant native to East Africa. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This is beyond a hobby. Indeed, there is a biting shortage of messor cepholates online,' Thuku said in her ruling. The teenagers' lawyer, Halima Nyakinyua, described the sentencing as 'fair' and said her clients would not appeal. 'When the statutes prescribe a specific minimum amount, the court cannot go lower than that. So, even if we went to the court of appeal, the court is not going to revise that,' she said. The illegal export of the ants 'not only undermines Kenya's sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,' KWS said in a statement. In a separate but related case, two other men charged after they were found with 400 ants were also fined $7,700 each with an option of serving 12 months in prison. Duh Hung Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, told the court that he was sent to pick up the ants and arrived at Kenya's main airport where he met his contact person, Dennis Ng'ang'a, and together they travelled to meet the locals who sell the ants. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ng'ang'a, who is from Kenya, had said he didn't know it was illegal because ants are sold and eaten locally. Magistrate Thuku during the ruling described Ng'ang'a and Nguyen's meet-up as 'part of an elaborate scheme.' Experts in Kenya have in recent days warned of an emerging trend to traffic lesser-known wildlife species. Entomologist Shadrack Muya, a senior lecturer at Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, told The Associated Press that garden ants are important for aerating soils, enhancing soil fertility and dispersing seeds. 'Ants play a very important role in the environment and their disturbance, which is also their removal, will lead to disruption of the ecosystem,' he said. Muya warned against taking ants from their natural habitats, saying they were unlikely to survive if not supported to adapt to their new environment. 'Survival in the new environment will depend on the interventions that are likely to take place. Where it has been taken away from, there is a likelihood of an ecological disaster that may happen due to that disturbance,' he said. Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists Toronto Blue Jays
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya given $7,700 fine or 1-year prison sentence
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya were fined $7,700 or the option to serve 12 months in prison — the maximum penalty for the offense — for violating wildlife conservation laws. The teenagers were found with the ants, which authorities said were destined for European and Asian markets in an emerging trend of trafficking lesser-known wildlife species. Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house. They were charged on April 15. Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx, right, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants, walk out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) Magistrate Njeri Thuku, sitting at the court in Kenya's main airport on Wednesday, said in her ruling that despite the teenagers telling the court they were naïve and collecting the ants as a hobby, the particular species of ants they collected is valuable and they had thousands of them — not just a few. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up The Kenya Wildlife Service had said the teenagers were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa. The illegal export of the ants 'not only undermines Kenya's sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits,' KWS said in a statement.
Euronews
16-04-2025
- Euronews
Belgian teens charged with wildlife piracy by Kenya court after found with 5,000 ants
ADVERTISEMENT Two Belgian teenagers have been charged with wildlife piracy after they were found with thousands of ants packed in test tubes in what Kenyan authorities said was part of a trend in trafficking smaller and lesser known species. Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19-year-old, were arrested on 5 April with 5,000 ants, appeared distraught during their appearance before a magistrate in Nairobi and were comforted in the courtroom by relatives. They told the magistrate they were collecting the ants for fun and did not know that it was illegal. In a separate criminal case, Kenyan Dennis Ng'ang'a and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen were also charged with illegal trafficking in the same courtroom, following their arrest while in possession of 400 ants. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said in a statement that the four men were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-coloured harvester ant native to East Africa. Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, left, and Kenyan national Dennis Ng'ang'a at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, 15 April, 2025 AP Photo The illegal export of the ants "not only undermines Kenya's sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits," KWS said. Kenya has in the past fought against the trafficking of body parts of larger species of wild animals such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins among others. But the cases against the four men represent "a shift in trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species," KWS said. The two Belgians were arrested in Kenya's Nakuru county, which is home to various national parks. The 5,000 ants were found in the guest house where they were staying and were packed in 2,244 test tubes that had been filled with cotton wool to enable the ants to survive for months. The other two men were arrested in Nairobi where they were found to have 400 ants in their apartments. Kenyan authorities valued the ants at one million shillings (€6,819). The prices for ants can vary greatly according to the species and the market. Relatives hug Belgian national Lornoy David who is charged to related illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, 15 April, 2025 AP Photo Philip Muruthi, a vice president for conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation in Nairobi, said ants play an important role in enriching soils, enabling germination and providing food for species such as birds. "The thing is, when you see a healthy forest, like Ngong forest, you don't think about what is making it healthy. It is the relationships all the way from the bacteria to the ants to the bigger things," he said. Muruthi warned of the risk of trafficking species and exporting diseases to the agricultural industry of the destination countries. ADVERTISEMENT "Even if there is trade, it should be regulated and nobody should be taking our resources just like that," he said. The case has been adjourned until 23 April, after which the court will consider pre-sentencing reports. Meanwhile, the four smugglers all remain in custody.
