Summary
A Chinese national named Zhang Kequn was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya for trying to smuggle over 2,000 queen garden ants to China. The ants are protected by international treaties, and their trade is highly controlled. Authorities suspect Zhang is part of an ant-trafficking network that was disrupted last year.
Key Facts
- Zhang Kequn, a Chinese national, was arrested for smuggling over 2,000 queen ants from Kenya.
- He was caught at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
- The ants were hidden in test tubes and tissue paper rolls in his luggage.
- Zhang is linked to an ant-trafficking network that was broken up in Kenya last year.
- Queen garden ants are protected by international biodiversity agreements.
- Demand for these ants is growing in Europe and Asia, where they are kept as pets.
- A Kenyan court allowed authorities to examine Zhang’s electronic devices for further investigation.
- Last year, four men were imprisoned for attempting to smuggle similar ants out of Kenya.
