A Chinese national has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after authorities discovered more than 2,200 live garden ants hidden in his luggage, in a case highlighting a growing trend of insect smuggling from Kenya.
According to court filings, 27-year-old Zhang Kequn was detained Tuesday while attempting to leave the country. Immigration officials had flagged his passport with a stop order after he allegedly evaded arrest in Kenya last year.
Investigators said a search of Zhang’s bags uncovered 2,238 ants, including 1,948 packed in test tubes and the remainder wrapped in soft tissue paper. Authorities believe the insects were intended for collectors who keep ant colonies in specialized display habitats known as formicariums.
Officials said Zhang had been in Kenya for about two weeks and told investigators he had three accomplices who supplied the ants.
The case follows a similar seizure in Bangkok earlier this week involving ants shipped from Kenya, suggesting the presence of an organized smuggling network. Wildlife officials say the trade reflects a growing shift in biopiracy away from traditional wildlife trophies toward lesser-known but ecologically important species.