Kenyan authorities have arrested a Chinese citizen, Zhang Kekun, at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen ants out of the country. The insects, identified as Messor cephalotes, are protected under international biodiversity conservation agreements, and their trade is strictly regulated. Security officers discovered the ants packed in specialized test tubes and tissue paper rolls inside Zhang’s luggage, which was bound for China.

Prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court that 1,948 ants were found in test tubes and another 300 hidden in tissue rolls. Investigators requested permission to conduct forensic examinations of Zhang’s electronic devices. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated that investigations are ongoing in other cities where ant collection is suspected, and more arrests may follow.

KWS had previously warned of rising demand for these garden ants in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as pets. In May of the previous year, a Kenyan court sentenced four individuals for a similar smuggling attempt, marking the country’s first such case.