FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

TSA Week in Review: 43 Firearms, $100,000Watch, Machetes & More


43 Firearms Discovered This Week – Of the 43 firearms,38 were loaded and 14 had rounds chambered. This loaded antique firearm was discovered in carry-on bag at RDU.

$100,000 Watch - A gold Cartier diamond encrusted watch was left at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) security checkpoint. A TSA officer spotted the watch and turned it into the TSA lost and found location. The $100,000.00 watch was picked up the next day. If you’ve lost an item at the checkpoint, be sure to visit the TSA lost and found page.

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items – In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons and many other prohibited items too numerous to note.


A traveler at BDL packed octagonal sais in his carry-on bag. Octagonal sais, as well as all other martial arts weapons, are prohibited from being packed in carry-on bags. Martial arts weapons may be packed in checked baggage, but it’s best to check local laws to ensure your weapons aren’t illegal to possess.


Counterclockwise from the top, these items were discovered in carry-on bags at BWI, ABQ, LAS, EWR, OAK, EWR, EWR, PHX, ORD and JAX.


Stun Guns - 20 stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags this week around the nation. Three were discovered at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and the remainder were discovered at Abilene (ABI), Boston (BOS), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas Love (DAL), Duluth (DLH), Gulfport (GPT), Honolulu (HNL), Kansas City (MCI), Las Vegas (LAS), Memphis (MEM), Minneapolis (MSP), Nome (OME), Norfolk (ORF), Portland (PDX), Roanoke (ROA), Sacramento (SMF), and York LaGuardia (LGA). The pictured stun gun was discovered at EWR.

Ammo Discovered in Carry-on Bag at FAT

Ammunition – When packed properly, ammunition can be transported in your checked baggage, but it is never permissible to pack ammo in your carry-on bag.
Clockwise from top, these firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at BUF, DFW, and IND.

Clockwise from top, these firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at TLH, FAY, LAS, BOI, LAS and BNA.

*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$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.

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

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Bob Burns
TSA Blog Team

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Posted by Bob Burns (TSA Blog Team) at 5/08/2015 08:49:00 PM

http://blog.tsa.gov/2015/05/tsa-week...-firearms.html