Move over big game smuggling, the new prize is small exotic ants for pricey ant farms.

Four suspects have pleaded guilty of trying to smuggle the insects out of Kenya for sale to collectors in Europe and Asia. The Kenya Wildlife Service says they cracked a landmark case involving the illegal trafficking and biopiracy of live ants including the ecologically significant messor cephalotes, also known as Giant African Harvester Ants, that are native to the country.

The suspects were two Belgian teens, a Vietnamese man and a Kenyan citizen. They were charged with illegal possession and trafficking of live wildlife.

The KWS says the men were arrested after authorities intercepted live queen ants concealed in specially modified test tubes and syringes. 2,244 test tubes had been designed to sustain the ants for up to two months and evade airport security detection, including X-ray scanners.

The two 19-year-old Belgians were found with 5,000 ants at a guest house on April 5. They appeared distraught during a court appearance on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. They told the judge they were collecting the ants for fun and didn’t know that it was illegal but authorities don’t buy that excuse.

The other two were arrested in a separate criminal case. They were arrested while in possession of 400 ants.

The foreigners had entered Kenya on tourist visas and, according to intelligence reports, intended to smuggle the ants to high-value exotic pet markets where demand for rare insect species is rising.

The intercepted ants are prized by collectors for their unique behavior and greenhouse pest control. They are popular for artificial ant habitats due to their complex colony-building capabilities. A single ant can retail for more than $130 in the West, Reuters reported.

“This case not only marks a serious wildlife crime but also constitutes biopiracy, as it involved the unlawful access and attempted export of Kenya’s genetic resources without prior informed consent or benefit-sharing,” the agency said in a release.

Authorities say the case highlights a growing global threat to native species and signals a shift in trafficking trends – from iconic large mammals to lesser-known yet ecologically critical species.

Kenyan officials are calling for enhanced surveillance at airports and exit points, including advanced scanning technologies to detect concealed wildlife.

The four suspects will remain in custody until an April 23 hearing when the judge will review pre-sentencing reports.