Chinese Man Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Smuggling Thousands of Live Ants From Kenya

Wildlife trafficking continues to be a persistent challenge across the globe, and several African nations with high biodiversity face particular pressure due to limited enforcement capacity.

In Kenya, a case involving the attempted export of live insects has resulted in a prison sentence. A Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, has been sentenced to one year in jail after authorities found him trying to leave the country with thousands of live queen garden ants hidden in his luggage.

According to reporting from the BBC, Zhang was also ordered to pay a fine of 1 million Kenyan shillings, which is about 7,737 US dollars. The case was heard in Nairobi, where Judge Irene Gichobi said the defendant did not appear fully truthful and showed little remorse for his actions.

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A Kenyan court on Wednesday ordered a Chinese man to pay a fine of 1 million shillings ($7,746) and gave him a 12-month jail term for trying to smuggle live ants out of the country. https://t.co/2lMUiGYVkE

— Reuters Africa (@ReutersAfrica) April 15, 2026

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Chinese national Zhang Kequn was arrested last month at Nairobi’s main international airport with more than 2,200 ‌live garden ants in his luggage.

Zhang’s lawyer said he would appeal against his sentence pic.twitter.com/H1b9BMJlaz

— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 16, 2026

Zhang was arrested on March 10 at Nairobi’s main international airport as he prepared to travel to China. Officials discovered more than 2,000 ants in his possession. He was later charged with illegally dealing in wildlife species.

During sentencing, the court emphasized the need for strong penalties, pointing to a growing trend of large-scale trade in garden ants and the potential harm such activity can cause to local ecosystems.

The investigation revealed that Zhang had purchased the ants in Kenya from a local man, Charles Mwangi, paying 10,000 Kenyan shillings for every 100 ants.

Authorities also noted that certain ant species are highly sought after by collectors in parts of Europe and Asia, which has helped fuel demand and illegal trade.

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