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The man, who was not identified, was stopped Sunday after something suspicious was spotted in his carry-on bag by a TSA agent operating an X-ray machine. The grenades were found inside the bag wrapped in bubble wrap, the TSA said.
Smoke grenades are not illegal but “are certainly prohibited from being brought onto an airplane because if released, smoke would fill the cabin and cause panic among the passengers and crew and possibly get into the cockpit,” Christopher Murgia, TSA’s New Jersey deputy federal security director, said in a statement.
“It’s quite shocking that someone thought he could bring them on the plane at all because something like that is not even allowed in a checked bag.”
“This is a perfect example of what a fine job our TSA officers do,” Murgia said. “The officer staffing the X-ray machine spotted something unusual and called for the bag to be opened and inspected. It certainly turned out to be the right call.”
The man was allowed to board the flight after handing off the grenades to a companion who was not traveling.
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