US EditionKenya arrests man trying to smuggle over 2,000 live ants in his luggage
Zhang Kequn was caught smuggling 2,238 protected Messor cephalotes ants linked to a trafficking ring supplying collectors in Europe and Asia, Kenya Wildlife Service said.
- On March 10, Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while carrying more than 2,200 live garden ants bound for China.
- Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service warned of rising demand for Messor cephalotes in Europe and Asia, and investigators say Zhang was linked to a trafficking network dismantled last year.
- Court filings say investigators found 1,948 garden ants in specialised test tubes and 300 hidden in tissue paper rolls, prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court.
- On Wednesday the court allowed prosecutors to detain Zhang for five days while detectives forensically examine his iPhone and MacBook, and Kenya Wildlife Service said more arrests are expected as the probe widens.
- Experts say removal of giant African harvester ants disrupts biodiversity, and the 2025 fined suspects case signalled a shift to insect biopiracy under international biodiversity agreements.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Kenya Arrests Chinese National for Attempting to Smuggle Over 2,000 Live Ants in Flight Luggage
A Chinese national was arrested at Kenya’s largest airport while attempting to leave the country with more than 2,200 live queen garden ants hidden in his luggage, authorities said. Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested on March 10 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, according to court filings. Kenyan immigration authorities flagged a “stop order” on Zhang’s passport last year following his escape from arrest in Kenya. He…
A Chinese citizen has been arrested at Kenya’s main airport on charges of smuggling for removing more than 2,000 ants from the country’s garden. Zhang Kequn was intercepted at a security checkpoint at the airport in the capital, Nairobi, after authorities discovered a considerable shipment of live ants in his luggage bound for China. Kequn has not responded to the charge, but investigators assured in court that he was linked to an anti-trafficki…
The ants are believed to be destined for the exotic pet market in Europe and Asia.
Man Busted Trying to Smuggle 2K Queen Ants
Kenyan authorities say they've busted an alleged repeat player in a booming niche wildlife trade: live queen ants. Officials at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport arrested 27-year-old Chinese national Zhang Kequn after screening reportedly turned up more than 2,000 live queen garden ants in his luggage bound for China,...
Alleged Ringleader Of Ant Smuggling Ring Arrested In Kenya After Being Caught With 2,000 Bugs In His Luggage
Smuggled ants in Kenya Ants are probably not the first thing to spring to mind when it comes to things smugglers can traffic across international borders in search of a profit. However, authorities in Kenya have staged their second big bust in less than a year after tracking down the alleged ringleader of an operation specializing in the movement of those insects. Trillions of dollars worth of goods are illegally smuggled around the globe each y…
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