The rulings of the Kenny Court of Indica festivals to a fine of $ 7,700 or one year in prison
A Kenyan court sentenced four men to one year imprisonment or a fine of $ 7,700 (5800 pounds) to try to smuggle thousands of direct ants from the country.
The four suspects – two Belgians, the Vietnamese and the Kenyans – were arrested last month with direct ants suspected of being heading to the crowd amateurs in Europe and Asia.
They admitted that they were guilty of charges, as the Belgians told the court that they were collecting the desired ants as a hobby and did not believe that it was illegal.
However, the judgment was submitted on Wednesday, the judge said that the specified types of ants collected were valuable and they had thousands of them – not just a few.
“While some ants collected a hobby, it is found with 5,000 ants of a queen outside of a hobby,” said Judge Najri Thuku.
“The world has already lost a number of species due to greed in part. It is time to stop this tide.”
She added: “This court will do its power to protect all the great and small creatures.”
The smuggler of the giant African giant, which is estimated by some UK dealers, included 170 pounds ($ 220) each.
Belgian citizens Lorenoy David and Sibi Ludiwigx, both of whom were 19, and Vietnamese Duh Ngwin and Kenyan Dennis Nagang, were handed over after the judge looked at the mitigation arguments.
The Belgians were found with 5,000 ants while the other two were found with more than 300 ants in their apartments.
The authorities said that the ants were crowded with more than 2000 test tubes filled with cotton wool to help them survive for several months.
Belgian teenagers entered Kenya in a tourist visa and were residing in Naifasha, a common town for tourists for its gardens and lakes.
The court described Nagwin, 23, as a “mule or an hour” as it was just sent to capture the ants and the person he sent in exchange for his ticket.
The court said that Nagangan, 26, was a “mediator” because of his knowledge of the ants in his rural home.
During the ruling on Naguin and Nagangan, Mrs. Thuko said they were involved in what she described as “the trade of illegal wildlife and perhaps a bio disc.”
The court heard that David, a anti -ant love with 10 colonies of ants at home in Belgium, belongs to the Facebook group called “Ant Gang”.
The Belgian teenager, who visited Kenya for the first time five years ago, said that he bought 2,500 queen from the Queen for $ 200 when he was arrested in search of more.
During the pleading of leniency, David told the court that he did not know his actions, whose regret was illegal.
For his part, Lodewijckx said it was only offered the purchase of ants for its interest in insect science, but his intention was not traffic.
The court ordered the return of the three foreigners to their country of origin when paying a fine or completing the prison sentence.
Men have 14 days to appeal against the ruling.
In a statement, KWS wildlife service praised the rule as “a testimony of Kenya’s position to tolerance with wildlife smuggling.”
It also highlighted the environmental importance of the giant African harvest, noting that removing it from the ecosystem can disrupt soil health and biological diversity.
The agency said that the case sent a clear message that Kenya “will follow unabated and prosecute anyone involved in the illegal wildlife trade, regardless of the species concerned.”
He added: “The trapper often reduces the environmental value of the smaller species, but its role in our ecological systems is indispensable.”
KWS, which is used more to protect large creatures, such as lions and elephants, was described earlier as a “prominent state”, warning that the demand for rare types of insects was growing.
In Kenya, ants are protected according to international biological diversity treaties and their trade is highly organized.
