Summary
A Chinese man was sentenced to one year in prison and fined about $7,700 by a Nairobi court for trying to smuggle over 2,200 ants out of Kenya. The ants were mostly meant for China, where they are sold as pets and can be worth around $100 each.
Key Facts
- The man, Zhang Kequn, was caught at Nairobi’s international airport with ants in test tubes in his luggage.
- He faced charges including wildlife trafficking without a permit and conspiracy but pleaded guilty only to the first charge.
- The court judge said Zhang showed no remorse and fined him 1 million Kenyan shillings (about $7,700).
- After serving one year in jail, Zhang will be sent back to China.
- Smuggling ants has become a serious issue in Kenya due to its ecological impact.
- Earlier, two Belgian teenagers were fined for having nearly 5,000 smuggled ants.
- Another Kenyan, Charles Mwangi, is accused of selling ants linked to previous cases, but he denies the charges.
- Ants smuggled from Kenya mostly go to China, the US, and Europe as exotic pets.
