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A Chinese man, Zhang Kequn, has been sentenced to a year in prison for attempting to smuggle ants out of Kenya. Kequn was arrested at Nairobi airport in March with over 2,000 ants concealed in his luggage.
His lawyer, David Lusweti, said he had been charged with dealing in wildlife species without a permit.
“Mr Zhang had been charged initially with dealing with wildlife species without a permit, and in addition, conspiracy to commit a felony,” said Lusweti.
The insects were mostly destined for China, the United States and Europe, where they’re prized as delicacies, aphrodisiacs and pets. A single ant can be worth up to $100.
The court also ordered him to pay a fine of about $8,000 or serve another year in prison. Judge Irene Gichobi, while sentencing him on Wednesday, said he lacked remorse and described him as “not an entirely honest person.”
“There is need for a stiff deterrent sentence,” she said, noting the “rising cases of dealing in large quantities of garden ants and the negative ecological side effects.”
A Kenyan national, Charles Mwangi, also appeared in court on Wednesday. He was charged with selling the ants to Zhang and to three people convicted of the same crime in 2025. They included two Belgian teenagers who were arrested for possessing 5,000 ants. They were fined but didn’t face prison time.
Mwangi has pleaded not guilty, and his case is ongoing.
