Kenyan authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after finding more than 2,200 live garden ants hidden in his luggage. Most of the ants were packed in test tubes, while others were wrapped in tissue paper.
Officials believe the insects were destined for collectors who keep ant colonies in glass habitats called formicariums, where enthusiasts watch their social behavior. Wildlife experts say this case highlights a growing problem: traffickers are now targeting lesser-known species like insects, not just ivory or exotic animals.
Investigators are looking into Zhang’s possible accomplices and examining his seized devices. A similar shipment of ants from Kenya was recently intercepted in Bangkok, suggesting a wider smuggling network at play.
Source: Newstimehub
