Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants to be sentenced in 2 weeks

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two Belgian teenagers who were found with thousands of ants valued at $9,200 and allegedly destined for European and Asian markets will be sentenced in two weeks, a Kenyan magistrate said Wednesday.

Magistrate Njeri Thuku, sitting at the court in Kenya’s main airport, said she would not rush the case but would take time to review environmental impact and psychological reports filed in court before passing sentence on May 7.

Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19 years old, were arrested on April 5 with 5,000 ants at a guest house. They were charged on April 15 with violating wildlife conservation laws.

The teens have told the magistrate that they didn’t know that keeping the ants was illegal and were just having fun.

The Kenya Wildlife Service had said the case represented “a shift in trafficking trends — from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species.”

Kenya has in the past fought against the trafficking of body parts of larger wild animals such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins among others.

The Belgian teens had entered the country on a tourist visa and were staying in a guest house in the western town of Naivasha, popular among tourists for its animal parks and lakes.

Their lawyer, Halima Nyakinyua Magairo, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her clients did not know what they were doing was illegal. She said she hoped the Belgian embassy in Kenya could “support them more in this judicial process.”

In a separate but related case, Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a and Vietnamese Duh Hung Nguyen were charged after they were found in possession of 400 ants in their apartment in the capital, Nairobi.

KWS had said all four suspects were involved in trafficking the ants to markets in Europe and Asia, and that the species included messor cephalotes, a distinctive, large and red-colored harvester ant native to East Africa.

The ants are bought by people who keep them as pets and observe them in their colonies. Several websites in Europe have listed different species of ants for sale at varied prices.

The 5,400 ants found with the four men are valued at 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($9,200), according to KWS.

Belgian national Lornoy David, center, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, walks out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian national Lornoy David, left, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants to sell as exotic pets, gestures outside the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx, right, walk out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, and Seppe Lodewijckx, right, who admitted to charges related to the illegal possession and trafficking of live queen ants, walk out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian national Seppe Lodewijckx, walks out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Belgian nationals Lornoy David, left, Seppe Lodewijckx, center and Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen appear at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 30, 2025--

Amazfit, a leading global smart wearable brand by Zepp Health (NYSE: ZEPP), today announces the Amazfit Active Max, the newest member of the Amazfit Active family. Built for everyday athletes and anyone looking to elevate their wellness routine, Active Max blends a 1.5″ ultra-bright AMOLED display, up to 25 days of battery life, easy podcast listening and advanced training tools to support consistent training and clearer visibility across any activity.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251230279762/en/

Active Max introduces a higher-precision training experience through BioCharge™ readiness insights, adaptive coaching, enhanced strength-training tracking, and comprehensive health metrics designed to clarify performance in real time and over time.

Key Features:

Active Max features enhancements across three dimensions: a bigger display, bigger storage, and bigger battery life. Pairing lightweight durability with 5 ATM water resistance and 170+ sport modes, Active Max offers versatility for strength sessions, running, and outdoor activities.

*Storage estimates are based on standard audio quality settings. Actual capacity varies significantly by file format, quality selection, and content complexity. Podcast feature available via software update in February 2026.

Pricing and Availability

The Active Max will be available starting December 30, 2025, for $169.00 on Amazfit.com and Amazon.

For more information, please visit www.amazfit.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Media and influencers are welcome to sign up to Amazfit Affiliate programs on Amazon and Commission Junction via the link.

About Amazfit

Amazfit, a global smart wearable and fitness leader is part of Zepp Health (NYSE: ZEPP), a health technology company with its principal office based in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. Zepp Health operates as a distributed organization, with team members and offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and other global markets.

Amazfit builds smart wearables designed around movement — training with intention, recovery with balance, and evolution over time. Built for the way people train today, Amazfit blends endurance, strength, and recovery into a single, coherent rhythm to support sustainable progress over time.

Behind Amazfit is Zepp, which builds the intelligence that supports its training experience. For more information, visit www.amazfit.com.

Bigger Display. Max Clarity: A 1.5″ ultra-bright AMOLED display delivers exceptional clarity in any setting—whether in the gym, outdoors, or on the move. With up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, the screen ensures real-time stats are always easy to read.