By KPC Reporter
Four men who are accused of trafficking garden ants will know their fate next week.
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts adjourned their case until next Wednesday.
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Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku granted the adjournment to allow for the completion of crucial pre-sentencing reports in the biopiracy case.
On Monday, Vietnamese national Duh Hung and Kenyan citizen Dennis Ng’ang’a entered guilty pleas to charges of illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife ant species.
Two Belgians similarly admitted to the facts presented against them.
The four suspects will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Belgian nationals were detained at the Industrial Area Remand Prison while Hung and Ng’ang’a are held at Lang’ata Police Station.
The one-week adjournment will enable three critical assessments to be completed.
There will be assessment of pre-sentencing report from the Probation Officer, and an expert opinion from the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) regarding the ecological significance of the confiscated Messor cephalotes ants.
A comprehensive victim impact assessment by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) detailing the conservation and economic consequences of the illegal wildlife trade will also be undertaken.
When the case returns to court on the 23rd April, the mention will confirm the filing of these reports, review the expert findings from KWS and NMK specialists, and give further guidance.
The judicial process underscores Kenya’s commitment to ensuring environmental justice is upheld, a statement from KWS said.
The case stems from the defendants’ attempt to smuggle live queen garden ants concealed in specially modified test tubes designed to evade airport security detection.
“This prosecution represents Kenya’s robust enforcement of the Nagoya Protocol against biopiracy, highlighting both the growing international demand for the country’s genetic resources and the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by wildlife traffickers,” KWS said in the statement.
“This case demonstrates the Kenya’s zero-tolerance approach to all forms of wildlife crime, regardless of the species involved.”
KWS urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious wildlife-related activities.
