Kenya Sentences Chinese Man To 1-Year Prison Term For Smuggling . . . Ants?

Last edited Thu Apr 16, 2026, 08:25 AM - Edit history (1)

A Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year. The insects are mostly destined for China, the US and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each.

Ant smuggling made headlines last year when two Belgian teenagers were arrested in possession of nearly 5,000 ants, mostly stored in small test tubes. They were fined about $7,700. Zhang Kequn, who evaded capture until his arrest on 10 March, had been linked to another case involving two people, one Vietnamese and one Kenyan.

More than 2,200 ants – including 1,948 prized Messor cephalotes – were found in test tubes in Zhang’s luggage at Nairobi’s international airport that was destined for China.

He was initially charged with wildlife trafficking without a permit and conspiracy, which carries a seven-year sentence, his lawyer said. He pleaded guilty after latter charge was dismissed.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/ant-smuggler-sentenced-to-a-year-in-jail-by-kenyan-court