Kenyan prosecutors on Monday arraigned a local man accused of supplying live ants to a smuggling network, as authorities step up efforts to curb the illegal export of insects from the country.
Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said Charles Mwangi appeared before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport court following a police investigation into the alleged trafficking operation.
According to prosecutors, a search of Mwangi’s home uncovered a large number of live ants prepared for export. Authorities said officers recovered 1,000 unpackaged live garden ants, 113 live ants packed inside modified syringes and 503 empty syringes believed to be intended for similar use.
Investigators allege Mwangi supplied ants to a Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, who was arrested last week at Nairobi’s main airport while attempting to leave the country with more than 2,000 live garden ants in his luggage.
Prosecutors also linked Mwangi to a shipment of ants seized in Bangkok on March 10 that originated from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Authorities said the suspect had connections with accomplices operating across several Kenyan counties.
Wildlife experts say such cases highlight a growing shift in biopiracy, with traffickers increasingly targeting lesser-known species rather than traditional contraband such as elephant ivory.
In 2025, four men were fined $7,700 each after being caught attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya.
Collectors and enthusiasts sometimes pay large sums for live ant colonies, which are kept in transparent enclosures known as formicariums that allow observers to study the insects’ intricate social structures and behaviour.