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A Transporation Security Administration officer spotted the .380-caliber Ruger LCP as the owner's belongings passed through the X-Ray machine at a security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.
Port Authority police arrested the traveler and seized the pocket-carry gun, which was loaded with three rounds, Farbstein said.
Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any circumstances, even if they have a concealed carry permit.
Passengers can travel with firearms only in checked baggage and if they're properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter, Farbstein said.
The guns must be unloaded in a hard-sided locked case that's packed separately from ammunition, she said.
The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared.
FIND DETAILS HERE: Transporting Firearms and Ammunition (TSA.gov)
OR WATCH THIS VIDEO:
Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into the thousands of dollars, depending on various circumstances, Farbstein said.
FIND PENALTIES HERE: Civil Enforcement (TSA.gov)
“Last year our TSA officers stopped four guns at our security checkpoints and here it is mid-April and already this is the third traveler who has been caught carrying a gun so far this year,” said Robert Duffy, the TSA’s federal security director for LGA.
“Our officers are good at preventing prohibited items and deadly weapons from getting past the checkpoints," Duffy said. "[P]eople who try to bring a gun onto a flight will pay a stiff price. The civil penalty will be costly.
"If you own a firearm, pack it correctly for transport in checked baggage or leave it at home.”
ALSO SEE: TSA agents detained a traveler at LaGuardia Airport after spotting a trench knife in his carry-on bag, authorities said. READ MORE....
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