Overview
- Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was detained on March 10 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he attempted to leave Kenya.
- Authorities found 1,948 queens in test tubes and about 300 in tissue rolls, totaling roughly 2,238 live ants.
- Court filings say immigration officials had placed a stop order on his passport after he evaded arrest in Kenya last year.
- Kenya Wildlife Service reports a similar consignment seized in Bangkok originated from Kenya, and Zhang named three accomplices as officers forensically review his iPhone and MacBook.
- The ants are reported as Messor cephalotes sought by collectors who pay about €100–€200 per queen; Kenya pursued ant-trafficking prosecutions in 2025, and licensed exports exist but are complex.