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The 9mm handgun, which wasn't loaded, was spotted at a checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Sunday, June 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said.
The traveler from Las Vegas, who was arrested by Port Authority police, was among 78,333 who were screened at Newark's TSA checkpoints -- and 2.7 million who passed through at airports nationwide, Farbstein said.
"Summer travel season is in full swing and our airport is extremely busy,” said Thomas Carter, the TSA’s federal security director for New Jersey.
Carter repeated a frequent point made by the TSA about armed travelers: They not only face fines that can run as high as $15,000 -- they also bring that entire security checkpoint area to a dead stop until the gun and the carrier are removed.
This applies to travelers with or without concealed carry permits.
SEE: Civil Penalties For Trying To Carry A Gun Aboard A Plane
Claiming you didn’t know the weapon was there doesn’t wash. It also makes you look irresponsible.
“My best advice is that when you’re ready to pack, start with an empty bag,” Carter said.
This way, he said, “you know with certainty what you’ve got inside and you know that there is nothing prohibited in a side pocket, zippered pouch or just in the bottom of your bag....That goes for backpacks, roller bags, handbags, messenger bags and duffle bags."
For the record: Under no circumstances can a civilian airline passenger in the U.S. travel aboard a plane with a firearm.
You can bring them in checked bags if they are properly packaged and declared at the airline ticket counter, the TSA NJ director said.
Guns must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case and packed separately from ammunition, he said. The locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
SEE: TSA Guidelines For Properly Traveling With A Firearm
Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a box made of fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal specifically designed to carry ammunition. That, too, must be declared.
Travelers cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they completely enclose the ammunition. Travelers should check with their airline for ammo quantity limits.
SEE: 'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints
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