A Chinese national, Zhang Kequn, has been sentenced to a year in prison for attempting to smuggle 2,200 ants, including about 2,000 rare Messor cephalotes ants, out of Kenya.

Mr Kequn is linked to two Belgian teenagers from Mol who were convicted last year for attempting to smuggle 5,000 ants out of Kenya.

While the teenagers faced legal action at the time, Mr Kequn evaded capture until recently, when Kenyan authorities arrested him on March 10, 2026, at Nairobi’s international airport as he tried to board a flight to China.

Smuggling of the rare ants from Kenya to China, the Americas, or Europe is a lucrative business. The Messor cephalotes ant is highly sought after, with collectors often paying hundreds of euros for queens and their colonies, which are frequently kept as pets, used for delicacies, and as aphrodisiacs.

Following his arrest, Mr Kequn was charged with illegal wildlife trade, known as biopiracy, and conspiracy to commit a crime.

According to his lawyer, Mr Kequn negotiated with the prosecution, and the conspiracy charge was dropped.

“He remained with the charge for dealing with wildlife species without a permit, where he promised to plead guilty,” his lawyer said.

After the conspiracy charges were dropped, Mr Kequn pleaded guilty.

However, the judge, Irene Gichobi, presiding over the case in Nairobi, noted that Mr Kequn showed little remorse and was insincere.

Mr Kequn will also have to pay a fine of about $8,000 or serve an additional year in prison.

A Kenyan, Charles Mwangi, also appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with selling the ants to Mr Kequn and to three other people convicted of the same crime last year, including two Belgian teenagers arrested in possession of 5,000 ants.

They were fined for the crime but were not sentenced to prison.