Undeclared Firearms Seized From Shipment At Dulles Airport


CBP Photo
Undeclared Firearms Seized From Shipment At Dulles Airport

Posted: Saturday, November 16, 2013 9:14 am

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Dulles Airport this week seized a cache of firearms imported as unmanifested freight by a U.S.-based international security from Iraq.

According to the CBP report, the firearms—22 AR-15s, six AK-47s, one Glock 19 pistol and one Night Sprint NVG night vision monocular—were discovered among a larger manifest of weapons brought in on a charter cargo flight Aug. 2.

“We believe the firearms were erroneously inventoried or shipped to the United States. The security firm has declined interest in the firearms and so Customs and Border Protection seized the unmanifested firearms,” Christopher Hess, the port director for the Port of Washington, DC, said. “This seizure clearly illustrates how closely Customs and Border Protection examines import manifests and identifies anomalies that could potentially harm our nation or our citizens.”

The security firm initially notified CBP that it intended to import a shipment of firearms that it exported to Iraq between 2004 and 2009.

CBP detained the entire shipment when it arrived at the airport and between Aug. 19 and Nov. 6 officers inventoried more than 6,000 items and discovered firearms in excess of the security firm’s itemized inventory list.

CBP offered the security firm an opportunity to amend its manifest to include the unlisted firearms, but the company declined and stated that the firearms did not belong to it. CBP is not identifying the international security firm because no criminal charges have been filed.

If the firearms remain unclaimed, they may be destroyed.

CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international passengers and cargo, and searches for terrorist weapons, illicit narcotics, unreported currency, counterfeit merchandise and prohibited agriculture and other products.

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