Four people have admitted to gigantic African harvesters of human trafficking from a national park in Kenya.
About 5,440 Queen Ants were seized at the Nairobi airport, according to judicial documents, hidden in modified test tubes and spraying.
The bust has a spotlight on the lucrative trade, with the combined value of the ants that may be worth $ 1 million in Europe.
The ants were probably intended for formicariums – transparent cases where ant lovers can see how complex colonies are built.
The species, known as Messor Cephaloten or the gigantic African harvest ant, have been sought.
The four smugglers, two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese man and a Kenyan National, argue on Monday guilty of accusation of illegal property and human trafficking of living animals in the wild.
They appeared again on Wednesday in court for pre-Sensioning.
“We are not criminals, we are 18 years old, we are naive and I just want to go home to start my life,” said David Lornoy, one of the Belgian smugglers, on an earlier appearance.
“We did not come here to violate laws. We did by accident and stupidity.“
More than 5,000 ants were hidden in spraying. ((Reuters: Monicah Mwangi))
Samuel Mutua, an expert in the field of natural crime at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said that the ant matter is eligible as an organized crime.
“Regardless of their age, they could get many ants,” he said Reuters.
The Kenya Wildlife Service Director-General Erustus Kanga said that the case meant a shift in the wild trade in the wild, from large iconic animals such as elephants to less well-known species that are still crucial for the local environment.
“We see organized crime syndicates diversify from traditional ivory poaching to focus on our entire biodiversity – from medicinal plants, insects to micro -organisms,” he said in a statement.
“This case represents much more than insect smuggling.”
A magistrate unveiled new details of the business on Wednesday, including that the two Belgian teenagers were arrested in a guest house near a national park.
The gigantic harvesters are vital to the local Kenyan ecosystem and help distribute important seeds.
The species is threatened by other issues, including the use of pesticides and destruction of habitats.
Reuters
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