Chinese national charged for trying to smuggle 2,000 ants from Kenya
Zhang Kequn, a Chinese national, was charged with illegally dealing in wildlife species last week at the international airport in Nairobi after authorities discovered he was trying to smuggle more than 2,000 live queen garden ants out of Kenya. The ants were "either stashed in a test tube or wrapped in tissue." A court in Nairobi heard that Zhang bought the ants from Charles Mwangi at 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($77; £58) for every 100 of them.
Zhang and Mwangi were also charged with conspiring to commit a felony and remain in custody. Mwangi faces a second count of the illegal dealing charge, after he was found with more live ants in a separate occasion. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to Nairobi media outlets. Zhang’s attorney David Lusweti said, "They have seen potential that they are able to sell outside the country, they believe that they can make a living out of it."
Zhang and Mwangi will appear before the court again on 27 March. More arrests are expected as investigators expand their probe into other towns where ant harvesting was suspected to be ongoing.
Quick Summary
A Chinese national and his Kenyan associate are in trouble with the law in Nairobi. The pair face charges related to wildlife, but the details are unusual - and point to international demand.
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