A Chinese national has been arrested in Nairobi after authorities discovered more than 2,000 live queen ants hidden in his luggage at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The suspect, Zhang Kequn, was stopped during a security check while preparing to board a flight to China. According to prosecutors, officers found 1,948 queen ants packed in specialized test tubes, while about 300 others were concealed inside rolls of tissue paper in his baggage.
The ants are believed to be Messor cephalotes, commonly known as giant African harvester ants. These insects are protected under international biodiversity agreements, meaning their collection and trade are strictly regulated.
The case was brought by the Kenya Wildlife Service, which said the suspect may be connected to a larger ant-trafficking network. Prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court that investigators want to examine Zhang’s phone and laptop as part of the inquiry.
A senior wildlife official, Duncan Juma, said authorities expect more arrests as they expand investigations into suspected ant harvesting in several towns across Kenya.
Demand for rare ants has been growing in parts of Europe and Asia, where collectors sometimes keep them in artificial colonies as exotic pets.
The arrest comes after a similar case last year when a Kenyan court sentenced four men two Belgians, a Vietnamese national and a Kenyan to one year in prison or a fine for attempting to smuggle thousands of queen ants out of the country.
Wildlife officials warn that removing large numbers of these ants from the wild could damage local ecosystems because they play an important role in soil health and biodiversity. The court has allowed authorities to detain Zhang for several days while investigations continue.
