The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has called on the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court to impose a severe sentence on the four people, including three foreigners, who pleaded guilty to smuggling 5,000 queen ants with a market price of Ksh1.2 million.
The request, which comes ahead of their sentencing on May 7, was made because of the implications smuggling would have on Kenya's ecosystem.
During court proceedings on Wednesday, April 22, the lead prosecutors in the case, Allen Mulama, Paula Rono, and Bramwel Shitsama, presented reports from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenyan National Museums.
The report from the Kenya National Museums, authored by a senior entomologist, sought to outline the crucial role ants play in the ecosystem.
These include pest control, seed dispersal, soil aeration, nutrient recycling, and serving as indicators of environmental health and climate change.
The entomologist thus warned that mass harvesting of queen ants could lead to local extinctions, destabilise ecosystems, limit plant nutrient availability, and contribute to the spread of invasive species.
The report by KWS highlighted the ecological and economic significance of the ants and the rising threat of biological material smuggling.
Reportedly, this type of smuggling was an emerging trend flagged by KWS, with several smugglers having been caught at the airport and courier facilities in Nairobi, Gilgil, and Naivasha since 2019.
The ants are often smuggled in special test tubes modified in China to avoid detection at the airport, often presenting as toys or wood carvings.
Locally, a single queen ant goes for around Ksh50, with brokers buying and reselling them for approximately Ksh150.
However, the market in Europe is significantly higher, with one queen ant going for 60 and 100 Euros each (Ksh9000 and Ksh15,000).
The ants are primarily used for culinary and decorative purposes globally.
