A Chinese guy was stopped at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya with more than two thousand live queen ants in his luggage. (Surprisingly, not in his pants.)
Authorities counted about 1,948 ants crammed into little test tubes, and another 300 wrapped up in tissue paper rolls. Because apparently that's how you pack your insect empire for travel.
Turns out, they weren’t just any ants — they were giant garden queens, the kind collectors in Europe and Asia keep as exotic pets. Problem is, they’re protected under international biodiversity laws. Which means the “pet ant” business is about as illegal as it sounds.
Prosecutors say this same guy, Zhang Kequn, ran off last year when an ant-trafficking ring got busted. This time, he tried to sneak back out with his insecta cargo like nothing happened. He’s now stuck in court while investigators dig through his phone and laptop, probably looking for the world’s weirdest group chat.
More on this story and a photo of the ant capsules HERE!