Kenyan authorities arrested a Chinese man at the country's main airport after he attempted to smuggle over 2,000 queen ants out of Kenya to China. He is believed to be a key figure in a rare wildlife trafficking network.
The suspect, Zhang Kechuan, was arrested during security screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, after officials found a large number of live ants hidden in his luggage destined for China.
Prosecutors revealed in court that his bag contained 1,948 queen ants packed in special test tubes, along with more than 300 live ants concealed in tissue paper rolls, totaling over 2,000 ants.
The ants are of the species Messor cephalotes, large African harvester ants protected under international biodiversity agreements, making their trade strictly regulated and requiring permits.
Officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated that demand for this ant species has risen in Europe and Asia, as some collectors keep rare ants as exotic pets.
Prosecutors have also requested the court's permission to examine the suspect's electronic devices, including his phone and laptop, to find evidence linking him to the wildlife trafficking network.
KWS officials said this case may be connected to an ant trafficking operation cracked down in Kenya last year. They believe Zhang Kechuan could be the mastermind behind the network but previously escaped the country using another passport.
The court has authorized a five-day detention of the suspect to allow police to extend their investigation. Officials anticipate further arrests of related individuals in other Kenyan cities.
Previously, in May last year, Kenyan courts sentenced four men, including Belgian and Vietnamese nationals, for attempting to smuggle thousands of queen ants out of the country, marking the first case of its kind.
Experts warn that African harvester ants play a crucial role in ecosystems by improving soil quality and maintaining biodiversity balance; removing them in large numbers could have long-term ecological impacts.
Source:BBC
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