Expert blog: The seizure of 2,000 ants highlights the hidden scale of insect trafficking
Elliot Doornbos, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, examines the overlooked world of insect trafficking and the forces that drive this illicit activity.
By Elliot Doornbos | Published on 17 March 2026
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences;
Out of Kenya’s largest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International, over 2,000 garden ants were seized after an attempt was made to smuggle them to China. This is in the wake of Kenya's Wildlife Service last year reportedly warning of a growing demand for the species as exotic pets.
The seizure is the second high profile ant smuggling case for Kenya after four men were sentenced for attempting to smuggle more than 5,000 ants out of the country last year.
These cases reflect an aspect of the transnational illicit trade in wildlife where protected species or components of them are traded in breach of policy.
Although mostly associated with larger charismatic megafauna species such as elephants, rhino and tigers, globally the majority of wildlife species are trafficked to some extent. One part of this market is the illicit trade in invertebrates, including insects and other arthropods such as arachnids and myriapods (for example centipedes).
Although seizures offer insight into the illicit insect markets, such as with the ant cases, garnering an understanding of the scale of insect trafficking itself can present challenges due to a lack of wildlife crime statistics globally, alongside the broader dark figure of crime surrounding wildlife trafficking.
However some estimates have placed the legal market for insect consumption specifically at being around USD 17.9 billion by 2033 which offers some insight into broader popularity of insects.
Some insects such as rhino beetles are disguised as toys.
The market for insects and wildlife
Despite the limited availability of comprehensive data, existing seizure records highlight overarching dynamics within insect‑trafficking markets. These encompass a wide range of species, trends, and motivations behind individual species markets.
Whilst insects are traded legally for areas such as research, pet markets, or human consumption, these patterns are often mirrored in illicit trade. One prominent driver is the exotic pet market.
Both aforementioned ant seizure cases were reportedly intended for sale as pets with similar motivations having been noted with other insects, such as the high demand for rhino beetles in Japan.
More broadly, the exotic pet trade has consistently been recognised as a key driver of wildlife trafficking with species such as reptiles and birds being key targets, offering parallels between insect trafficking and wildlife trafficking more generally.
Alongside the demand in species, the smuggling techniques used in insect trafficking also reflect broader themes seen in wildlife trafficking markets.
Seizure cases ranging from a man attempting to smuggle centipedes, bullet ants and tarantulas out of Peru in zip lock bags strapped around his body, to separate cases of praying mantis eggs and rhino beetles being disguised as children’s toys and snacks respectively. These methods echo wider cases of wildlife being concealed using novel and diverse approaches.
Many insects are trafficked in large quantities as observed in the ant cases. This technique has been used with small fauna such as birds and reptiles, where smugglers transport high numbers with the expectation that some will die but profits can still be made from the survivors, demonstrating further similarities.
Protection for insects
Globally the protections of individual insects varies. Whereas most jurisdictions have legislation which protects wildlife, the trade and level of protection is often informed by conservation status. This is echoed in how the trade in wildlife is regulated with levels of criminalisation for wildlife trafficking varying on the species, attitudes towards them and on how the specific country has constructed domestic legalisation.
Informing this, 185 countries have signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which regulates the international trade in fauna and flora through classification with Appendix 1 all but banning the trade, Appendix II means trade can take place but be controlled and Appendix III relates to species not threatened by trade but there are specific countries that have regulations in place.
Regulating the trade in wildlife research has pointed to the convention not being entirely effective in protecting wildlife with inconsistencies and enforcement challenges often being key components.
In relation to insects, poor knowledge and a lack of clarity regarding international regulations governing their trade have been noted by researchers, including uncertainties about the legal requirements for transporting and selling insects.
This is exacerbated by the existence of a legal market for certain species which can potentially allow traffickers to launder protected species alongside legal ones, a technique offering further parallels with wildlife trafficking. This technique however further complicates enforcement, as authorities must have awareness of species specific policies and the training around species identification.
As the Kenyan ant case demonstrates, not only is there a demand and issue of insect trafficking, but these markets have an array of similarities to the broader transnational illegal trade in wildlife including enforcement challenges.
High profile cases help to recognise insects as victims of wildlife trafficking which in turn can help garner public support and develop further responses to prevent species harm.
Elliot Doornbos, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, NTU School of Social Sciences