The astonishing antmen

By James Tong and Shiny Xu May 21, 2025

The operation was supposed to be flawless. Located in Kenya, four men of varying nationalities, ready with their expensive cargo to go through airport security, ready to smuggle across the border. Once they boarded their plane, they would be gone. Just four men with 5 thousand ants shoved into test tubes.

Angelica Liljenstam Art

On April 15, four men including two Belgian teenagers, a Kenyan and a Viet were charged with wildlife piracy after they were caught in a guest house with five thousand live 5,000 Messor cephalotes queen ants inside 2,000 modified syringes and test tubes packed with cotton wool. This storage system would have allowed the ants to survive for two months and bypass airport security, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). These ants were part of a shipment valued at $9,200 to be sold to trafficking markets in Europe and Asia. Messor cephalotes ants are particularly prized for their glossy black bodies and large red heads that appeal to collectors in the exotic pet trade.

Although the trafficking of ants is less heard of, insect trading as a whole is a growing market, and falls under a $20 billion global wildlife trafficking industry, per the World Economic Forum. For ants specifically, according to the Associated Press, some species are viewed as status symbols for collectors and displayed in formicariums —artificial ant nests—or even featured in videos. Unique ants, like leafcutters, are popular among online content creators, such as “Lights, Cameras, Ants,” a YouTube channel with over two million subscribers. Their rarity makes them desirable, but the trafficking required to bring them to collectors is devastating for the environment.

Angelica Liljenstam Art

“Insect and ant trafficking can be just as harmful as smuggling bigger animals. Some people will do anything for rare pets, bragging rights or a quick dollar, including illegal smuggling,” Sophomore Isaac Litwiller said.

Ants are essential to ecosystems because they aerate the soil, clean up decaying matter and keep other insect populations in control. As such, the removal of ants in large numbers disrupts the natural balance and affects bacteria levels in soil, per the Times of India. In Kenya, losing these native ants threatens biodiversity, food chains and overall health of the land, as explained by Philip Muruthi, the vice president for conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation.

Beetles are another insect sold illegally, often for “underground fighting matches”. Species like Bolivia’s rhinoceros beetles play a crucial role in decomposing wood and nutrients for soil health and forest regeneration. According to National Geographic, the trafficking of beetles in large numbers threatens the ecological balance of the regions they inhabit, from soil degradation to the possible complete extinction of this beetle species over time.

Angelica Liljenstam Art

In February, 37 live beetles worth $1500 were found inside cargo at Los Angeles International Airport from Japan, hidden inside Japanese snack packages. Similar to the aforementioned incident in Kenya, the insects were likely meant to be sold to exotic insect collectors. Illegal wildlife trafficking is one of the biggest and most profitable types of crime, worth up to $20 billion annually, as per INTERPOL.

While some countries allow regulated hunting, the smuggling of insects and animals for use as pets or living displays is often harder to detect than poaching, which involves killing animals to sell their parts. Kenya claims to have set heavily enforced measures to prevent poaching, but live trafficking remains a greater challenge. The KWS found the sentencing to be a landmark case against biopiracy, the unauthorized exploitation of genetic resources of specific communities. The case is part of a new trend in wildlife trafficking, which has been shifting from the smuggling of large, high-value species and animal products to lesser-known species such as Messor Ceophalotes.

“Kenya’s government, among other countries facing trafficking and poaching, should focus especially on building a system of strong border agents, who are responsible for stopping poaching. These governments must improve the security of protected zones where animals at risk can be better guarded,” Junior Orion Jirman said.

Whether big or small, global trafficking of wildlife continues to damage ecosystems, but with stronger enforcement and protection, international efforts by authorities hope to slow this ongoing crisis.

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About the Contributors

James Tong is a writer for journalism. He enjoys collaborating with others and this is his first year in journalism. His hobbies include swimming, biking, hanging out with friends and listening to music.

Shiny Xu is a Junior at Leland High School and a Staff Writer. This is her first year in journalism. She likes theater, reading and hanging out with her friends.