Chinese national arrested at Kenya airport with over 2,000 live ants

A Chinese national has been arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 live queen ants out of Kenya.

Zhang Kequn was intercepted during security checks with 1,948 ants packed in specialized test tubes and another 300 hidden inside three rolls of toilet paper in his luggage, prosecutors told a court on Wednesday.

The suspect has not responded to the charges. Investigators allege he is linked to an ant trafficking network that was busted in Kenya last year. Authorities believe Zhang may have been the mastermind behind the operation and apparently fled Kenya last year using a different passport.

Prosecutors have requested forensic examination of the suspect's electronic devices, including his mobile phone and laptop, and have been granted a five-day detention order for further investigation.

In April last year, four men from Belgium, Vietnam and Kenya pleaded guilty to attempting to illegally export about 5,000 rare ants to European and Asian markets. The species involved was the African giant harvester ant (Messor cephalotes), native to Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, which has high ecological value. Removing them from the ecosystem can damage soil health and biodiversity.

The ants are prized by collectors for their unique social behavior and nesting abilities, with some keeping them as pets.