A Chinese national has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of Kenya.
Authorities discovered the live ants in his luggage during a security check while he was preparing to travel to China.
Prosecutors said some ants were stored in test tubes while others were hidden in tissue paper rolls.
The suspect, Zhang Kequn, is believed to be linked to an ant-trafficking network previously uncovered in Kenya.
The ants, known scientifically as Messor cephalotes, are protected under international biodiversity treaties.
Kenya Wildlife Service officials say the demand for them as collector pets in Europe and Asia is increasing, and further arrests may follow as investigations expand.
