A stunning discovery at Newark Worldwide Airport led to a passenger’s arrest, whereas additionally touchdown the airport on the TSA’s most uncommon checkpoint finds checklist for 2024.
A Mississippi man was at Terminal A of the New Jersey airport on Oct. 16, when TSA officers stopped him for what was inside his carry-on bag. The officer detected a disassembled .9-mm handgun after working the duffle bag by way of the X-ray machine.
Whereas the discover itself wasn’t all that unusual, how the passenger tried to cover it actually was.
The TSA mentioned the gun body had been jammed within the backside of a boot, under a sock that was stuffed in behind it in an effort to hide the weapon. The remainder of the handgun — the slide, spring and gun journal loaded with 12 bullets — was detected amongst plastic constructing blocks inside a Black Panther LEGO set.
Port Authority Police had been alerted, confiscated the gadgets and arrested the person, who was set to fly to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport, in accordance with the TSA.
“That is an instance of somebody who was deliberately making an attempt to hold a gun onto a flight,” mentioned Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Safety Director for New Jersey. “He kept changing his story, first telling us that it was a toy gun and then claiming that it belonged to his brother. Regardless of his claims, what I can tell you is that it was a fully disassembled firearm that he could easily have assembled and used on a plane.”
The gun within the Lego field landed at No. 8 on the TSA’s prime 10 checklist of surprising gadgets. The highest merchandise on the checklist was additionally a gun, however that one was present in a child stroller at William P. Passion Airport in Houston. Here is a take a look at the complete checklist:
Gun hidden inside child stroller — William P. Passion Airport
Reproduction explosive made out of a walkie-talkie — El Paso Worldwide Airport
Stay snakes smuggled inside pants — Miami Worldwide Airport
Meth hidden inside crutches — Portsmouth Worldwide Airport
Gun hidden inside a teapot, alongside shot glasses — Portland Worldwide Airport
Hiding vape inside toothpaste — Chicago Halfway Worldwide Airport
Knife hidden inside laptop computer — Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport
Gun inside Lego field — Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport
Knife hidden in shoe, after which the passenger denied understanding about it — Williamsburg Worldwide Airport
Marijuana hidden inside peanut butter — Asheville Regional Airport
