Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya

bbc ^ | 03/12/2026 | Wycliffe Muia

[BenLurkin]

A Chinese national has been arrested in Kenya's main airport accused of attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of the country.

Zhang Kequn was intercepted during a security check at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the capital Nairobi after authorities discovered a large consignment of live ants in his luggage bound for China.

He has yet to respond to the accusation but investigators said in court that he was linked to an ant-trafficking network that was broken up in Kenya last year.

The ants are protected by international bio-diversity treaties and their trade is highly regulated.

Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned of a growing demand for garden ants – scientifically known as Messor cephalotes - in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as pets.

A state prosecutor told the court on Wednesday that Zhang had packed some ants in test tubes, while others were concealed in tissue paper rolls hidden in his luggage.

"Within his personal luggage there was found 1,948 garden ants packed in specialised test tubes," prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court.

"A further 300 live ants were recovered concealed in three rolls of tissue paper within the luggage," he added.

The prosecutor asked the court to allow the suspect's electronic devices - phone and laptop - to be forensically examined.

Duncan Juma, a senior KWS official, told the BBC that more arrests were expected as investigators widen their probe into other Kenyan towns where ant harvesting was suspected to be ongoing.

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TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: chinese; kenya; queenants; smuggle

[dfwgator]

Oh, now I see, because “fourmi” is French for “ant”, so that’s where the name “Formic” comes from.

[DesertRhino]

I did not know that. All I knew is that the first victim killed in the movie, the scientist told the New Mexico State police officer that they were filled with formic acid! But I was young then, I didn’t instinctively know that had something to do with ants. It was probably a spoiler for any biologist in the audience.

[Libloather]

Queen aunt -

[Recompennation]

Anyone thinking of the mysterious ballon invasions that our democrat crap national security apperatiusers .
Do ants need parachutes?

[dfwgator]

The Pink Panther theme:

Dead ant....dead ant....dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant dead annnnnt.....

[Ezekiel]

“ant-trafficking network” ping.

[Track9]

Counting ants is hard.

[dfwgator]

[Trumpette1954]

We have fire ants and don’t need any more ants of any kind!

[escapefromboston]

Since its the Chinese they probably think its boner medicine

[Hot Tabasco]

where collectors keep them as pets.

I've always dreamed of having ants as pets........

[Phoenix8]

I’m convinced they are waging an invasive pest war on the west.

When I was a kid in the 70s gardening was easy and bountiful. Zucchini for example would yield so many fruit just a few plants could supply not just my family but the neighbors as well. Now?

Plant 6 Zuc and you might get a few fruits before they get a mold and wilt then die.

And it doesn’t stop there—
Spotted Lanternfly
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Emerald Ash Borer
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Asian Carp
Northern Snakehead
Formosan Subterranean Termite
Kudzu
Tree of Heaven
Japanese Knotweed
Chestnut Blight
Sudden Oak Death Pathogen
Soybean Rust
Fusarium Head Blight

And more…

[Waverunner]

I remember that in elementary school, a student who’s dad had been building tracking dishes in Africa brought back some chocolate covered ants. He talked about his work, and shared out the ants, tasted like spicy chocolate.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

rope, tree, solved.

we must get tough on such evil.

[higgmeister]

The queen of Messor cephalotes measures between 22 and 25 mm (0.9 and 1.0 in) in length, while workers range from 5 to 19 mm (0.2 to 0.7 in). The species exhibits polymorphism, with three worker castes: minor, media, and major. The queen’s head is red, thorax black, and abdomen red-patterned. Workers are mostly red with black abdomens.[1]

[higgmeister]

The Chinese want to radiate “Them!”

[caddie]

ANT-ifa Terrorist!

[ViLaLuz]

He should have hid the ants in his pants.

[BlackVeil]

I am very suspicious that this is biological warfare, of an ominous type. Remember, also, those packets of unknown seeds being sent to random addresses, from China? Invasive weeds, and invasive species, are a dreadful problem.