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Kenya arrests man trying to smuggle over 2,000 live ants in his luggage
Zhang Kequn was caught smuggling 2,238 protected Messor cephalotes ants linked to a trafficking ring supplying collectors in Europe and Asia, Kenya Wildlife Service said.
- On March 10, Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while carrying more than 2,200 live garden ants bound for China.
- Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service warned of rising demand for Messor cephalotes in Europe and Asia, and investigators say Zhang was linked to a trafficking network dismantled last year.
- Court filings say investigators found 1,948 garden ants in specialised test tubes and 300 hidden in tissue paper rolls, prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court.
- On Wednesday the court allowed prosecutors to detain Zhang for five days while detectives forensically examine his iPhone and MacBook, and Kenya Wildlife Service said more arrests are expected as the probe widens.
- Experts say removal of giant African harvester ants disrupts biodiversity, and the 2025 fined suspects case signalled a shift to insect biopiracy under international biodiversity agreements.
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He hid most of the ants in test tubes and the rest in rolls of paper.
Chinese man arrested in Kenya with 2,000 live queen ants at Nairobi airport
A Chinese national has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi after authorities found more than 2,000 live queen garden ants hidden in his luggage, Kenyan officials said.
·Pointe-Noire, Congo (the)
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Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya
Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya 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…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left3Leaning Right5Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Center, 38% Right
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources are Center, 38% of the sources lean Right
39% Center
L 23%
C 39%
R 38%
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