A Chinese national has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi after authorities intercepted an attempt to smuggle queen garden ants out of the country. The suspect, identified as Zhang Kequn, was presented before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Court following his arrest.
Investigators say the suspect was detained after a five-day surveillance operation conducted by security agencies. The operation linked him to a suspected international network involved in illegal wildlife smuggling.
According to information presented in court, the suspect was found with ants carefully packed inside small test tubes. The tubes had been hidden inside rolls of tissue paper in his luggage. Authorities believe the packaging was designed to keep the insects alive during transportation while also avoiding detection during security checks.
During the inspection, officers discovered a large number of insects concealed in the luggage. Reports indicate that nearly two thousand garden ants had been packed in the specialized tubes. Investigators believe the ants were being transported for illegal trade abroad.
Wildlife officials note that insects are protected under Kenyan law because they are part of the country’s biodiversity. The illegal collection or export of such species without proper permits is considered a wildlife offence. Authorities say the ants involved in the case are native to Kenya and are highly valued in the international exotic pet market.
The suspect is also being investigated for possible connections to an earlier case that occurred in 2025. In that incident, four individuals, including two Belgian teenagers, a Vietnamese national, and a Kenyan citizen, were arrested at the same airport while attempting to smuggle thousands of insects. Among the insects found in that case was the species Messor cephalotes, which is known to originate from Kenya
