Kenyan authorities say alleged ant smugglers represent "a shift in trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species."

The men, including two Belgian teenagers, pleaded guilty to smuggling thousands of live queen ants, which the Kenyan authorities said were destined for markets in Europe and Asia.

Two Belgian teenagers, David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx admitted in court that they attempted to traffic thousands of queen ants for the growing international exotic pet market.

Four men have pleaded guilty in Kenya to trying to smuggle hundreds of highly sought-after ants out of the country. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, has described this as a "landmark case".

Kenyan authorities accused two Belgian teens, one Vietnamese man and one Kenyan man of trying to smuggle ants to sell as exotic pets.

Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx were arrested with 5,000 ants at a guest house, and were distraught during their appearance before a magistrate in Nairobi.

A court in Kenya charged two young Belgian men with wildlife piracy Tuesday for allegedly attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers in Europe and Asia. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the "landmark case,

Two teenagers arrested in Kenya for smuggling thousands of ants out of the country - Two Belgian teenagers have been charged with wildlife piracy