Four smugglers, who declared themselves to blame for illegal possession and living animal trafficking, returned to court on Tuesday to be tried after an attempt to transport thousands of living ants from Kenya for sale in exotic animal markets in Europe and Asia.
The case involved two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan, and is already considered a milestone for Kenya’s wildlife service (KWS).
The service reported that authorities intercepted living ants, including from the species Messor Cephalotes, also known as Giant African Hillser Ant, which were hidden in modified test tubes and syringes.
A judicial document seen by Reuters states that the authorities intercepted about 5,000 water-packed ants in 2,244 containers, with a market value of about 1 million Kenyan Xelins (about R $ 45,960.33).
The court postponed the case to April 23, when it will analyze the pre-side reports of the Wildlife Service, the National Museums of Kenya and the Conditional Agent. Currently, while awaiting the jury’s decision, smugglers are arrested in the African country.
A source of the ant trade, which he asked not to be identified, said suppliers needed a license from the wildlife and a sanitary certificate to export ants Cephalotes, and that the Kenya native species was much sought after and difficult to obtain.
British supplier Antsrus has described that many people dream of this species, and that it is “truly amazing to observe visually”:
“Messor Cephalotes is the dream species of many people. Queens are about 20 to 24 mm long and a beautiful red and brown/black color,” he explained.
Antsrus lists the price of a living queen of this species at 99.99 pounds (about $ 779.08), although they are out of stock at the moment.
This content was originally published in giant living ants are tried in Kenya; Understand on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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