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A Chinese national has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of Kenya.
The suspect, identified as Zhang Kequn, was intercepted during a security check after authorities discovered live ants concealed in his luggage, bound for China.
Court documents say some ants were packed in specialised test tubes, while others were hidden in tissue paper rolls.
State prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court on Wednesday that 1,948 ants were found in test tubes, and a further 300 were recovered from the tissue rolls.
“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.”
Prosecutors have requested a forensic examination of Zhang’s electronic devices, including his phone and laptop.
Zhang is allegedly linked to an anti-trafficking network that was dismantled in Kenya last year. Investigators believe he may have been the mastermind behind the ring, having reportedly escaped Kenya previously using a different passport.
The queen garden ants (Messor cephalotes) are protected under international biodiversity treaties, and their trade is highly regulated.
Last year, four men, two Belgians, a Vietnamese, and a Kenyan, were sentenced for attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials warned that the ants are in high demand among collectors in Europe and Asia, where they are kept as exotic pets.
Duncan Juma, a senior KWS official, said more arrests are expected as investigators expand their probe to other towns involved in ant harvesting.
The court approved Zhang’s detention for five days to allow detectives to continue investigations.
KWS stated the ecological importance of these ants, noting that their removal could disrupt soil health and local biodiversity.
