Belgian Teens Return Home After Month in Kenyan Jail for Ant Smuggling
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World
May 8, 2025 10:33
zaventem - Two Belgian teenagers, David and Seppe, are back home after a month in a Kenyan prison for ant smuggling. They were fined €6,800 for possessing 5,000 ant queens.
Belgian Teens Return Home After Ant Smuggling Incident in Kenya
Two teenagers from Mol, Belgium, David (19) and Seppe (18), have returned home after spending a month in a Kenyan jail on suspicion of ant smuggling.
Ant Smuggling Allegations
They were arrested on April 5th when Kenyan police found 2440 test tubes filled with ant queens in their hostel room near Lake Naivasha.
Legal Proceedings
David and Seppe claimed they were offered the ants with export papers during their trip and had no intention of smuggling them. They were fined €6,800 by a Kenyan court and released the same day.
Landmark Case
This was the first ant smuggling case in a Kenyan court, with the Kenya Wildlife Service hailing it as a milestone in combating biopiracy and illegal ant trade.