Ant smugglers Seppe and David back in Belgium after Kenyan conviction

After spending over a month in detention in Kenya, Flemish teenagers Seppe Lodewijckx (18) and David Lornoy (19) have returned to Belgium following their conviction for the attempted smuggling of 5,000 live ants. The two arrived at Brussels Airport in Zaventem on Wednesday morning, visibly relieved and grateful to be home.

The pair, from Mol, had been held in Kenya since April 5 and appeared in court on May 7, where they were fined approximately €6,831 each. The sentence was handed down by a Nairobi court after both teens pleaded guilty to the illegal possession and attempted export of protected wildlife species, including the Messor cephalotes, also known as the Giant African Harvester Ant. Payment of the fine spared them a 12-month prison term.

In an interview with VTM NIEUWS, Seppe and David said their first stop would be a visit to their grandparents. “We owe them a big explanation,” they admitted. Reflecting on their ordeal, they described their time in a Kenyan prison as harsh and unsettling. “It’s definitely not like a Belgian prison,” one of the teens said. “It wasn’t pleasant at all.”

The Kenyan court made it clear that the verdict was intended to send a strong signal against wildlife trafficking. “The minimum sentence reflects the government’s firm stance on environmental protection,” the judge stated, emphasizing that the decision avoided a lengthy incarceration but carried a clear message.

Also convicted alongside the two Belgians were Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen and Kenyan national Dennis Ng’ang’a. All four pleaded guilty and received similar fines.