TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

TSA Week in Review December 4th - 11th - Firearms, Chainsaw, Cattle Prod, Batarang and More

TSA discovered 66 firearms last week in carry-on bags around the nation. Of the 66 firearms discovered, 61 were loaded and 24 had a round chambered. All of the firearms pictured were discovered last week. See a complete list below.
This machete was discovered in a carry-on bag at Atlanta (ATL).

This cattle prod was discovered in carry-on bag at Chicago Midway (MDW).
This chainsaw full of gasoline was discovered in a checked bag at Anchorage (ANC). Chainsaws can only be packed in checked baggage if they’re empty of all fuel and cleaned so that no fuel vapors or residue are noticeable. If fuel vapors are noticeable, it will be considered a hazardous material and will be removed from checked baggage.
This inert grenade was discovered in a carry-on bag at Richmond (RIC). We don’t know grenades are inert until our explosives professionals take a closer look, and that takes time and slows down the line. It can even lead to a complete shutdown and evacuation.
Clockwise from the top: Batarang (PVD), Comb Knife (SJC), Knife (RIC), Dagger (SAN) and Gun Knife (DSM)
In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly in carry-on bags, our officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, stun guns, small pocketknives and many other prohibited items too numerous to note.


When packed properly, ammunition can be transported in your checked baggage, but it is never permissible to pack ammo in your carry-on bag.

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 $11,000.

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.

*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.

Read our 2015 Year in Review post! If you haven’t read them yet, make sure you check out our year in review posts for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

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Bob Burns
TSA Social Media Team

Posted by Bob Burns (TSA Blog Team) at 12/13/2016 06:37:00 PM

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/12/tsa-week...-4th-11th.html