A Chinese national has been arrested at Kenya’s main airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of the country, according to a report by the BBC.
The suspect, Zhang Kequn, was intercepted during a security check at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi after authorities discovered a large consignment of live ants hidden in his luggage and reportedly destined for China.
Zhang has yet to respond to the accusations, but investigators told a court that he is suspected to be connected to an ant-trafficking network that was dismantled in Kenya last year.
The ants involved are protected under international biodiversity treaties, and their trade is strictly regulated.
Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned about a growing demand for garden ants, scientifically known as Messor cephalotes, particularly in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as exotic pets.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, state prosecutor Allen Mulama revealed that the insects were carefully concealed in the suspect’s luggage.
“Within his personal luggage there was found 1,948 garden ants packed in specialised test tubes,” Mulama told the court.
“A further 300 live ants were recovered concealed in three rolls of tissue paper within the luggage,” he added.
The prosecution requested that Zhang’s phone and laptop be subjected to forensic examination as part of the investigation.
A senior KWS official, Duncan Juma, told the BBC that more arrests could follow as authorities expand investigations into other Kenyan towns where ant harvesting is suspected to be taking place.
In a related case last May, a Kenyan court sentenced four men—two Belgians, a Vietnamese national and a Kenyan—to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country.
The suspects had pleaded guilty after being arrested in what KWS described as “a coordinated, intelligence-led operation.”
The Belgian suspects told the court they were collecting the ants as a hobby and claimed they were unaware that exporting them was illegal.
Investigators now believe Zhang may have been the mastermind behind the trafficking network but reportedly escaped Kenya last year using a different passport.
On Wednesday, the court granted prosecutors five days to detain him while detectives continue their investigation.
Although the KWS is best known for protecting large wildlife such as lions and elephants, it described last year’s ruling as a “landmark case.”
The agency noted that the giant African harvester ants play a crucial role in the ecosystem, helping to maintain soil health and biodiversity, and warned that removing them from the wild could disrupt ecological balance.
Authorities believe the ants were intended for exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
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