Friday, October 19, 2012

TSA Week in Review: 15 Tubes of Black Powder Discovered at Denver


Black Powder Discovered at Denver – 15 tubes of black powder totaling around eight ounces were discovered after a checked bag alarmed for explosives at Denver (DEN).

Inert Grenades Etc. – We continue to find inerthand grenades and other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an itemlooks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane. Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.


  • An inert fuse igniter was discovered at Denver (DEN).




Items in the Strangest Places –It’s important to check your bags prior to traveling. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found in strange places.


  • After going through a bag that alarmed in Columbus (CMH), an officer found a hairbrush with a 4 inch dagger attached to the handle concealed behind the lining of the bag.


What Not to Say at an Airport – Statements like these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience manyother passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:


  • A passenger at Anchorage (ANC) stated that he had a bomb in his checked bag. Because the claim had to be investigated by law enforcement, the bag was pulled and the airport was closed for two hours and 20 minutes. The claim turned out to be false, and the passengers on the flight were delayed in taking off.


Stun Guns – Two stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints around the nation: Salt Lake City (SLC), Newark (EWR)
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--to mention a few…

Firearms - Here are pictures of some of the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. See a complete list below.







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 throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. 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.

Bob Burns
TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

The TSA Blog: TSA Week in Review: 15 Tubes of Black Powder Discovered at Denver