A Chinese national and his Kenyan associate have been formally charged in a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 live queen garden ants out of the country, in the latest case highlighting a growing global demand for the tiny insects as exotic pets .
Zhang Kequn was arrested last week at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after security officials discovered a large consignment of live ants concealed in his luggage, which was destined for China . The insects were found carefully packed, with some stored in specialized test tubes and others hidden inside rolls of tissue paper .
According to prosecutors, Zhang was found with 1,948 queen garden ants in test tubes and an additional 300 live ants concealed in tissue rolls within his luggage .
During a court hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors detailed that Zhang had been sourcing the ants from his Kenyan associate, Charles Mwangi . The court was told that Zhang paid 60,000 Kenyan shillings (approximately $464) for an initial batch of 600 ants and an additional 70,000 shillings for another batch of 700 . This translates to a rate of about 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($77) for every 100 ants .
Both men have been charged with illegally dealing in wildlife species and conspiracy to commit a felony . Mwangi faces an additional count after authorities allegedly found him with more live ants on a separate occasion . They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges .
Zhang’s attorney, David Lusweti, told the Associated Press that his client was unaware he was breaking the law. “They have seen potential that they are able to sell outside the country, they believe that they can make a living out of it,” he said .
Kenyan authorities have been warning about a rising trend in the trafficking of ants to markets in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as pets . The ants, scientifically known as Messor cephalotes, are protected by international bio-diversity treaties, making their trade highly regulated .
In May 2025, a Kenyan court sentenced four men—two Belgians, a Vietnamese, and a Kenyan—to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country in what the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) described as a “landmark case” . Those suspects had pleaded guilty, with the Belgians claiming they were collecting the ants as a hobby and did not think it was illegal .
Investigators now believe Zhang was the mastermind behind that trafficking ring and may have escaped Kenya last year using a different passport before being apprehended in this latest operation .
Duncan Juma, a senior KWS official, told the BBC that more arrests are expected as investigators widen their probe into other Kenyan towns where ant harvesting is suspected to be ongoing . The KWS has previously stated that the illegal export of these ants undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity and can disrupt local ecosystems, as the ants play an important role in soil health .
The suspects remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court again on March 27 .
