One specimen is worth 100 francs Men smuggle potency ants - arrest at the airport

Tiny, inconspicuous - and suddenly a case for the law: smugglers with thousands of live ants are caught at Nairobi airport in Kenya. The business behind it is as curious as it is lucrative.

What do you smuggle secretly in your suitcase?

In this case: thousands of live giant harvester ants (Latin: Messor cephalotes). What initially seems bizarre quickly develops into a real criminal case.

Ants are a popular aphrodisiac

There is serious business behind this bizarre story: the trade in rare insects is booming in secret.

In China, the giant harvest ants are considered a delicacy. But they are also eaten as an aphrodisiac.

Why ants of all things are so popular - and why the case in Kenya is causing a stir.

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