Good Catch at Luis Muñoz MarĂ*n International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Good Catch

While public polling shows the majority of passengers support the use of advanced imaging technology to keep them safe, some critics have questioned its effectiveness. An example out of Puerto Rico this week illustrates that our officers can pick up on non-metallic items hidden on passengers.

An astute TSA officer at Luis Muñoz MarĂ*n International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico detected an anomaly on a female passenger screened using imaging technology. Further screening uncovered that she had strategically concealed approximately $55,000 in cash in her undergarments. As a result, she was referred to the proper authorities for further investigation.

While currency cannot bring down an airplane, the fact that our officers are able to use technology to spot artfully concealed cash shows our ability to pick-up on other non-metallic items like the explosives we saw in the Christmas day plot in 2009.

Transportation Security Administration | U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.tsa.gov/press/goodcatch/060611_cash.shtm