A man has been arraigned at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts over allegations of supplying live garden ants to foreign nationals.
Charles Mwangi appeared in court on Monday after police recovered 1,000 unpackaged live ants, 113 garden ants in modified syringes, and 503 empty syringes from his home.
The court heard that CCTV footage retrieved from Moonlight Hotel showed the suspect allegedly supplying the ants to a Chinese national identified as Zhang Kequn on March 5, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the suspect has also been linked to a consignment of garden ants seized in Bangkok on March 10, 2026.
Authorities say the shipment originated from Mombasa, where another suspected associate is believed to be based.
Investigators further alleged that Mwangi maintains connections with accomplices operating in Naivasha, Mombasa and Kajiado County.
The prosecution further revealed that the suspect previously supplied a similar consignment of ants in April 2025 to three individuals, a Vietnamese national, a Belgian national and a Kenyan, who were later arrested and charged at the JKIA court.
Senior Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi ordered that Mwangi be detained at Lang’ata Police Station for three days pending conclusion of investigations.
The matter will be mentioned on March 19, 2026.
