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 who were found with 5,000 ants were fined in Kenya $ 7700 or a 12 -month -old option in prison – the maximum crime penalty – to violate wildlife preservation laws.

Teenagers were found with ants, which the authorities said were directed to European and Asian markets in the direction of emerging in trafficking in wild species of less well -known.

Belgian citizens, Lorenoy David and Sibi Ludwigx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants in the guesthouse. They were charged on April 15.

Judge Najri Thuku, who is sitting on the field at Kenya’s main airport on Wednesday, said that although teenagers tell the court that they were naive and gather ants as a hobby, the specified species of ants are value and they only have thousands of them.

Kenya’s wildlife service said that adolescents were involved in ants to the markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included swords, which are a distinctive, large and red besiege from East Africa.

KWS said in a statement that the illegal export of ants “not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights for its biological diversity, but also prohibits local communities and research institutions with possible environmental and economic benefits.”