SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017

TSA Week in Review Mar 13th - 19th: Record Tying 81 Firearms Discovered in Carry-on Bags Last Week - Inert Explosives Detected In Carry-on

TSA discovered 81 firearms last week in carry-on bags around the nation. Of the 81 firearms discovered, 74 were loaded and 26 had a round chambered. This tied our current record of 81 firearms (70 loaded) discovered in August of 2016. All of the firearms pictured were discovered last week. See a complete list below.
Three inert blocks of explosives were detected in a traveler’s carry-on bag at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP). This wasn’t a test. It was a military instructor who stated that he forgot they were in his bag. Instructors needing to travel with inert explosives training aids should plan ahead and find another way to transport their training aids. They are prohibited in both checked and carry-on bags. 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.
This plastic dagger was discovered near the inner right ankle of a Nashville (BNA) passenger after AIT screening. All knives are prohibited as carry-on items. Concealed knives can lead to fines and arrest.
From left to right, these items were discovered in carry-on bags at: LAS, DTW, SAN and ABQ


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.





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.

If you haven’t read them yet, make sure you check out our year in review posts for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and2016. And don’t forget to check out our top 10 most unusual finds of 2016 video!

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Bob Burns
TSA Social Media Team

Posted by Bob Burns (TSA Blog Team) at 3/25/2017 02:38:00 AM

http://blog.tsa.gov/2017/03/tsa-week...th-record.html