A SPEARGUN?

IED Training Kit (HNL)

Inert Ordnance and Grenades etc. – We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a real bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays because the explosives detection professionals must resolve the alarm to determine the level of threat. Even if they are novelty items, you cannot bring them on a plane. Read here on why inert items cause problems.

Inert Detonators (BHM)

• An improvised explosives device (IED) training kit was discovered in a checked bag at Honolulu (HNL). We understand that instructors and others in this type of business need these items, but instructors needing to travel with inert explosives training aids should plan ahead and contact their preferred shipper about mailing the items to their destination.
• Three inert detonators were discovered in a carry-on bag at Birmingham (BHM).

Artfully Concealed Prohibited Items – It's important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure prohibited items are not inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag or on your body, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found by our officers in strange places.

(Left - Right) Lipstick Knife (DEN), Gel Packs (FLL), Comb Dagger (STL)

• 80 credit card knives were discovered this week at checkpoints. Twelve were discovered at San Francisco (SAN), nine at Kansas City (MCI), nine at Minneapolis (MSP), eight at St. Louis (STL), seven at Nashville (BNA), five at Tampa (TPA), five at Grand Rapids (GRR), three at Fargo (FAR), two at Bismarck (BIS), two at Long Beach (LGB), two at Manchester (MHT), two at Minot (MOT), and the remainder were discovered at Beaumont (BPT), Billings (BIL),Cincinnati (CVG), Columbia (CAE), Dickinson (DIK), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Smith (FSM), Kalamazoo (AZO), Mobile (MOB), Orange County (SNA), Sarasota (SRQ), Shreveport (SHV), Traverse City (TVC), and Williston (ISN). Check out this blog post for more information on credit card knives.
• A Fort Lauderdale passenger attempted to bring several unfrozen gel packs in her carry-on bag. After being told they were prohibited, she stated she would have them checked with her luggage. Upon returning to the checkpoint, she alarmed the advanced imaging technology in her breast and buttocks area. Prior to secondary screening, the passenger admitted she had placed the gel packs around her sensitive areas.
• A 3-inch knife in was discovered in a passenger's shoe at Manchester (MHT).
• A belt buckle knife was discovered at LaGuardia (LGA).
• A comb dagger was discovered in a carry-on bag at St. Louis (STL).
• Two lipstick knives were discovered this week in carry-on bags at Denver (DEN), and Louisville (SDF).

Speargun Discovered in Carry-on Bag at Denver

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items – In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons and a lot of sharp pointy things…

Stun Guns – 18 stun guns were discovered this week in carry-on bags around the nation: Two were discovered at Sacramento (SMF), two at San Diego (SAN), and the remainder were discovered at Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BWI), Denver (DEN), Jackson (JAN), Jacksonville (JAX), Kansas City (MCI), Kotzebue (OTZ), Little Rock (LIT), Nashville (BNA), Oklahoma City (OKC), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan (SJU), Shreveport (SHV), and St. Louis (STL).

51 Firearms Discovered This Week – Of the 51 firearms, 42 were loaded and 11 had rounds chambered.

(L-R /T-B) Guns Discovered at MSY, JAN, COU, and PBG

(L-R) Guns Discovered at IAH, SEA, OAJ

(L-R /T-B) Guns Discovered at RFD, OKC, BNA, and SGF

*In order to provide a timely weekly update, this data is compiled from a preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is reported in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear or end-of-year numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not estimates.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it's great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the line is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a penalty as high as $7,500. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you check out our TSA Blog Year in Review for 2013 . You can also check out 2011 & 2012 as well.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

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