The Darien man was detained on the morning of Monday, Jan. 10, after a TSA officer saw the .38 caliber handgun on the checkpoint X-ray machine's monitor, the TSA announced.
TSA said the gun wasn't loaded.
Port Authority Police responded to the checkpoint and brought the man in for questioning before they arrested him on weapons charges.
The man reportedly told authorities he didn't realize he had the gun with him.
The man is also facing a federal civil penalty for bringing the gun to the checkpoint, TSA reported.
"Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline," the TSA said. "The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane. Additionally, replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage."
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