Two men in Kenyan court for ant-smuggling

Nairobi: Two men appeared in a Nairobi court on Tuesday accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of ants to China, a lucrative trade exposed last ye...

Nairobi: Two men appeared in a Nairobi court on Tuesday accused of attempting to smuggle thousands of ants to China, a lucrative trade exposed last year in the east African country.

Chinese national Zhang Kequn was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last week with more than 2,200 ants, including 1,948 of the sought-after Messor cephalotes species, in his luggage.

The insects are considered delicacies and pets, said defence lawyer David Lusweti Namai.

Messor cephalotes ants are particularly prized and can fetch around $100 each abroad.

Kequn, born in 1998 according to court documents, appeared alongside Kenyan national Charles Mwangi, 35, accused of selling him 1,300 ants for 100 Kenyan shillings ($0.77) each.