A Kenyan court on Wednesday sentenced a 12-month jail term against a Chinese national for attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen garden ants out of Kenya, APA can report on Thursday.
The defended ant identified as Zhang Kequn was arrested last month at Nairobi’s main international airport with more than 2,200 live garden ants in his luggage.
The court in Nairobi on Wednesday also fined Zhang Kequn 1m Kenyan shillings ($7,737). Judge Irene Gichobi described Zhang as not “entirely honest” and lacking in remorse.
Gichobi said a stiff sentence was needed as a deterrent given a spate of cases in Kenya of ant-trafficking.
“Noting the increasing and rising cases of dealing in large quantities of garden ants and the negative ecological side effects of massive harvesting, there is a need for a stiff deterrent,” Gichobi said.
He initially pleaded not guilty to charges including dealing in live wildlife species but later changed his plea to guilty.
A Kenyan man identified as Charles Mwangi, was also charged in the case, accused of supplying the ants to Zhang
Mwangi has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail. His case was not before the court on Wednesday.
MG/abj/APA