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Transportation Security Administration

Police & Fire
Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA
Shotgun Shell Containing Meth Found On Man At Philadelphia Airport: TSA A Pennsylvania was caught with an altered shotgun shell containing methamphetamine while moving through a security checkpoint at the Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, Sept. 30, according to the Transportation Security Administration. As the man moved through the checkpoint, a scanner alarmed in his groin area where the shotgun shell was found under his clothing, TSA said.  The white powder found inside the modified shell was tested and found to be methamphetamine. The man, who was not named but identified as an Orangeville, PA resident, was arrested by Philadelphia police,…

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by Merriell Moyer
News
$42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence $42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence
$42K Hidden In Sealed Toothpaste Boxes Lands PHL Employee Federal Sentence A Philadelphia International Airport employee will spend six months in jail for trying to smuggle thousands of dollars past security, according to federal prosecutors.  Hugh James, 52, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and a combined $1,200 in fines and fees, said the US Attorney's Office.  Authorities said James tried to board a flight from PHL to Montego Bay, Jamaica in October 2020 with $62,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage.  As "an employee with access to the secure area of the airport," investigators said James "arranged to have the cash smuggled…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA
Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Transportation Security Administration officials said they seized a box cutter that a traveler had secreted in a bandage wrapped around their arm over the weekend at Philadelphia International Airport.  The unidentified traveler was flagged by TSA's screening process and then "self-reported" the utility knife concealed in their wrapped hand, said security officials.  The traveler first told TSA they only "stored" the blade there, then "palmed the blame off on their spouse and insisted the mistake was a joint effort," according to authorities.  View this p…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Florida Man Brings Loaded Gun To Harrisburg International Airport: TSA Florida Man Brings Loaded Gun To Harrisburg International Airport: TSA
Florida Man Brings Loaded Gun To Harrisburg International Airport: TSA A Florida man has yet again been caught with a loaded gun at a Pennsylvania airport and another man brought a loaded gun to Pennsylvania airport on Christmas Day — both claimed they found that they had their loaded guns on them.  Last December, another Florida man accidentally helped the Transportation Security Administration officers at Harrisburg International Airport set the record for most guns found in a year, with 10 guns. This year a Florida man is inching the TSA closer to that record, as the loaded gun found by officers at the x-ray machine is the 8th found at HIA in 2023…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Travelers Bring Loaded Guns To PHL Two Days In A Row: TSA Travelers Bring Loaded Guns To PHL Two Days In A Row: TSA
Travelers Bring Loaded Guns To PHL Two Days In A Row: TSA Transportation Security Administration agents stopped area residents from boarding planes with loaded handguns at the Philadelphia International Airport two days in a row this week, officials announced.  The first incident involved a Coatesville man on Monday, Nov. 27, TSA said in a release. An X-ray unit at the security checkpoint revealed a 9mm handgun loaded with six bullets in his carry-on bag, according to authorities.  Then on Tuesday, Nov. 28, a Philadelphia man was also found with a 9mm in his bag — "loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber," said …

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by Mac Bullock
News
Hatfield Man Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun, TSA Says Hatfield Man Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun, TSA Says
Hatfield Man Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun, TSA Says A Hatfield resident was cited and may face a federal fine after Transportation Security Administration agents said he entered a security checkpoint with a firearm.  It happened at Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday, Oct. 11, after the X-ray scanner flagged his carry-on for additional screening, TSA said.  The gun, a.45-caliber pistol with a fully loaded magazine and one round in the chamber, was confiscated by police.  He could face up to a $15,000 civil penalty, TSA agents noted.  “Let me be very clear when I say that there is absolutely no excuse fo…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Flight Attendant Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun At PHL: Authorities Flight Attendant Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun At PHL: Authorities
Flight Attendant Tried To Board Plane With Loaded Gun At PHL: Authorities A flight attendant was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, Sept. 15 after authorities say she tried to board a plane with a firearm.   The woman, an Arizona resident, was found to have a loaded .380 caliber handgun at the security checkpoint, said a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson.  She was arrested and may now face a federal fine, officials added.  The next day, Saturday, Sept. 16, agents said they thwarted a passenger from North Carolina from boarding with a loaded handgun. He faces the same financial penalty as the flight att…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Berks Woman Caught With Loaded Gun At Philly Airport: TSA Berks Woman Caught With Loaded Gun At Philly Airport: TSA
Berks Woman Caught With Loaded Gun At Philly Airport: TSA A Berks County traveler faces a criminal citation and a civil fine up to $15,000 after she was found to have a loaded gun at Philadelphia International Airport this week, officials say.  It happened early in the morning on Wednesday, March 22, the Transportation Security Administration said in a release. A Hamburg Borough woman was passing through the X-ray unit at the security checkpoint when agents found the gun, they said.  The weapon, "a .380 caliber handgun," was loaded with seven rounds when seized by TSA, authorities wrote. The woman told security officers she forgot t…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Montco Man Tried To Board Plane At JFK With Loaded Gun: TSA Montco Man Tried To Board Plane At JFK With Loaded Gun: TSA
Montco Man Tried To Board Plane At JFK With Loaded Gun: TSA A Montgomery County man is in police custody and could face up to a $15,000 fine, after travel safety agents say he tried to bring a loaded handgun onto a plane in New York.  It happened at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday, March 9, said the Transportation Security Administration in a release. An X-ray machine at the security checkpoint revealed that the unnamed suspect, a man from Evansburg, had a loaded .38 caliber revolver in his carry-on bag, officials claimed.  The man told TSA agents he didn't know the gun was in his luggage, authorities wrote.  H…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
TSA Thwarts Explosive-Carrying Passenger From Boarding at Lehigh Airport: Feds TSA Thwarts Explosive-Carrying Passenger From Boarding at Lehigh Airport: Feds
TSA Thwarts Explosive-Carrying Passenger From Boarding at Lehigh Airport: Feds A passenger with an explosive device tucked away in his luggage attempted to board a plane at the Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday, Feb. 27, authorities say.  The suspicious item was clocked by Transportation Security Administration agents screening checked bags, the federal agency said. Security officers gave the bag the physical exam after it triggered an alarm in the screening unit, they added.  Inside, agents discovered "an item (...) that appeared to be suspicious and was believed to possibly be a live explosive device," TSA said.  The airport was evacuated as police and…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Two Holiday Travelers Caught With Loaded Guns At Philly Airport, TSA Says Two Holiday Travelers Caught With Loaded Guns At Philly Airport, TSA Says
Two Holiday Travelers Caught With Loaded Guns At Philly Airport, TSA Says Two travelers were arrested in two separate instances for trying to bring loaded guns onto their flights at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday, authorities say.  A woman from Phoenixville was found with a .38 caliber revolver loaded with two rounds in her carry-on bag at a security checkpoint on Dec. 22, Transportation Security Administration officials said in a release. Sometime later, a man from Bel Air, Maryland was caught with a loaded 9mm handgun in his backpack, the agency added.  Both guns were spotted via the X-ray scanner, TSA wrote. Security guards contacted…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler A traveler at JFK Airport might've thought he was smooth, but spread the word: Gun parts hidden in jars of peanut butter aren't going to make it past the TSA. A screener found several parts of a disassembled .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in plastic and stuffed into two jars of Jif -- both creamy -- at the Queens airport, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. "The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets," she said. "When the checked bag triggered an alarm in a Terminal 8 X-ray unit, a TSA officer opened the bag and upon closer inspection uncovered the…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Loaded Guns Found At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Loaded Guns Found At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA
Loaded Guns Found At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Loaded handguns were found in carry-on bags at two Pennsylvania airports early in the morning on Wednesday, Dec. 7, authorities say. Both guns were found by Transportation Security Administration officers using x-ray machines, according to multiple releases by the TSA.  At Harrisburg International Airport a Michigan resident was stopped with a .38 caliber revolver was loaded with five bullets. This is the ninth gun TSA officers have found at HIA, a record-high number caught at the airport in a single year in the 21-year history of TSA. The second gun was a loaded 9mm handgun fou…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says
Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says A Philadelphia resident may face civil penalties after trying to board a plane with a handgun in his bag, according to the Transportation Security Administration.  The unnamed man was in the security checkpoint line at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 29 when officers saw a 9mm handgun on the X-ray machine, the TSA said in a statement.  The traveler was permitted to return to the airline counter and declare his weapon in his checked luggage, as required under federal guidelines, officials said.  The matter was forwarded to federal aviation authorities, who…

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by Mac Bullock
News
UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays
Update: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays A frisky feline who was recently rescued from a checked bag at JFK Airport enjoyed Thanksgiving at home, the TSA reports. Smells snuck into a suitcase on an Orlando-bound pre-holiday flight in what the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein jokingly called a bid to pursue "a big mouse he heard was running around Disneyworld." The orange tabby "belonged to someone else" in the Brooklyn household and apparently stowed away when no one was looking, Farbstein said at the time. Kitty owners noted that it was paws-able, given cats' love for warm, secure spaces. We’re lettin…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia 38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia
38 Special: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia A traveler from Louisiana was caught trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a plane at LaGuardia Airport, the TSA said. Transportation Security Administration officers picked off the .38-caliber revolver as it passed through a checkpoint X-ray machine with the woman's belongings on Monday, Nov. 28, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. It was loaded with five bullets, she said. The officers seized the gun and summoned Port Authority police, who took her into custody, Farbstein said. Not only was the woman arrested -- she also now faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could run into t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says Thanksgiving brought Newark Airport a near-dubious distinction when authorities seized the 22nd gun of the year at a security checkpoint, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Delaware County, PA man with a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 bullets -- including one in the chamber -- in his carry-on bag in Terminal C, the agency's Lisa Farbstein said. The Newtown Square, PA resident was the third traveler nabbed with a gun at Newark just this month, Farbstein said. The 22 overall for the year ties the record for the most in a month there with five weeks left i…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage
Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage It's not what you think: TSA agents at JFK Airport rescued a cat found in a traveler's luggage, but it wasn't caused by someone's cruelty. The orange tabby "belonged to someone else in the household" but apparently hopped into the traveler's suitcase when no one was looking, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. It is paws-able, kitty owners say. Good thing the stowaway was found, given the temperatures of pressurized cargo holds during flights. The suitcase had been checked before a flight to Atlanta, with a connector to Melbourne Orlando Airport in Flo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins
TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins The second Midwesterner of the week was nabbed with a loaded gun at a Newark Airport security checkpoint, authorities reported. The 9mm handgun seized from an Illinois traveler's carry-on bag on Thursday was loaded with 12 bullets, including one in the chamber, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said on Friday, Nov. 18. The firearm was the 13th found at Newark Airport checkpoints this year, more than the recent high of 12 last year. Thursday's armed traveler was also toting a 9-inch hunting knife, Farbstein said. "Both weapons were detected when the TSA officer who was staffing a checkpoint X-ray m…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
MontCo Traveler Brought Loaded Gun To Airport, TSA Says MontCo Traveler Brought Loaded Gun To Airport, TSA Says
MontCo Traveler Brought Loaded Gun To Airport, TSA Says A Montgomery County resident was cited at the Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday, Nov. 12 after a loaded gun was discovered in their luggage, security announced.  Transportation Security Administration officials said the Collegeville resident was passing through a security checkpoint when the X-ray scanner detected a loaded .380-caliber handgun in their bag.  Tinicum Township police confiscated the gun, and federal authorities were notified to follow up with a civil fine, the TSA said.  It's the 39th incident this year in which security officials located a gun at…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole
Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole An ex-con from New York must spend the next three years in federal prison, with no parole, for trying to slip a loaded, stolen gun and lots of ammunition past a security checkpoint at Newark Airport. Desmond Herring, 48, of Newburgh made a beeline for his gate when a TSA officer staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor found the loaded weapon -- along with boxes of ammo -- in his carry-on bag on Nov. 29, 2021, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. Port Authority police collected the bag and examined its contents, the TSA said at the time. Along with the 9mm pistol were 10 rou…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA
Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Officers at two Pennsylvania airports seized guns— one of which was loaded, on Friday, Oct. 21, according to Transportation Security Administration.  A .40 caliber handgun along with a box of ammunition was found in a Duquesne man's carry-on at the security checkpoint on Pittsburgh International Airport.  Allegheny County police were notified and they   confiscated the gun and arrested the man. The U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania also requested that county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negl…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint
Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint A thief was steps from fleeing with a fellow traveler's wedding band at Newark Airport when TSA and Port Authority officers teamed up to catch him, authorities said. Told that the ring was missing from a screened bin, a Transportation Security Administration supervisor reviewed surveillance video and saw the thief snatch it, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police who were called to the checkpoint watched the video, got a good look at the thief and headed in his direction, Farbstein said. Moments later they returned to the checkpoint with the ring and the man in custody after …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Traveler Caught With Loaded Gun At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA Traveler Caught With Loaded Gun At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA
Traveler Caught With Loaded Gun At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA An Arizona man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented him from carrying a loaded handgun onto his flight at Philadelphia International Airport. The traveler's 9mm gun was discovered in his carry-on bag in a security checkpoint x-ray machine on Friday, Sept. 24, TSA officials said. It was loaded with 17 bullets. Philadelphia police confiscated the gun and detained the man before arresting him on a weapons violation, they said. The man — whose name has not been released — is expected to face a financial penalty. Passengers can trave…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA
Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA A traveler at Newark Airport claimed she didn't know she had a .38 Special stashed behind the lining of her suitcase, authorities said. The loaded revolver was "artfully" concealed in the Orange, NJ, woman's carry-on, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.  A TSA officer staffing a checkpoint X-ray monitor alerted Port Authority police, who seized the six shooter and the woman, Farbstein said. It was the 11th gun picked off at a Newark TSA checkpoint so far this year, she said. “This is a fine example of how we use the technology available to us to…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page
TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page A gun-toting Florida man who was nabbed at LaGuardia Airport told TSA officers that he'd forgotten he had his loaded .380-caliber handgun with him, authorities said. “That’s no excuse," Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. "This man is now likely to receive a civil financial penalty that could possibly cost him thousands of dollars. "If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times.” A TSA officer spotted the handgun (inset photo above) in the West Palm Beach resident’s belongings as they passed through the checkpoint X-ray machine’s monitor, the Tr…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Traveler Tries To Bring Gun On Plane At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA Traveler Tries To Bring Gun On Plane At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA
Traveler Tries To Bring Gun On Plane At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA An out-of-state traveler was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented him from carrying a gun onto his flight at Philadelphia International Airport. The Indiana man's 9mm handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag at a security checkpoint on Tuesday, Aug. 23, TSA officials said. It was not loaded. TSA officers confiscated the gun and detained the man for questioning before arresting him, they said. The man — whose name has not been released — is expected to face a financial penalty. Passengers can travel with firearms only in checked b…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Three Guns, Knives Seized In Five Days At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA Three Guns, Knives Seized In Five Days At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA
Three Guns, Knives Seized In Five Days At Philadelphia International Airport: TSA Three guns were seized along with several knives from people at Philadelphia International Airport in five days, officials said. The three guns were detected in the checkpoint X-ray machine on Saturday, July 30, Tuesday, Aug. 2, and Wednesday, Aug. 2, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The first arrest was made when officers stopped a Millville, NJ man from carrying a revolver and five knives onto his flight on Saturday, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. Then, on Tuesday, an Eagles Mere, PA man had been issued a gate pass from the airline to escort his yo…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says
Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says A Bergen County man bound for Turkey was caught at Newark Airport with various gun parts "artfully" concealed inside ankle and wrist weights, authorities said. The Elmwood Park traveler claimed a friend had given him the suitcase that he checked with the airline before attempting to board a flight to Istanbul late Wednesday night, said Lisa Farbstein of the Transportation Security Administration. An alarm sounded as the checked bag went through the screening process, Farbstein said. A search turned up the gun parts inside the weights, which she said were packed in a box. Passengers can tr…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Central Pennsylvania Man Caught With Loaded Gun At Airport: TSA Central Pennsylvania Man Caught With Loaded Gun At Airport: TSA
Central Pennsylvania Man Caught With Loaded Gun At Airport: TSA A central Pennsylvania man apparently thought he was about to star in a summer blockbuster this "Independence Day" as he attempted to get on a flight with a loaded handgun, authorities say. The unidentified East Berlin resident was stopped at the X-ray machine when a Transportation Security Administration officer detected ammunition in his carry-on bag at Harrisburg International Airport on Monday, July 4. He was pulled aside, searched, and "found with a .25 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets along with two boxes of ammunition among his carry-on items," TSA states in a release. The p…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints 'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints
'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints It doesn’t rank with airports in Atlanta, Houston or Dallas in terms of numbers, but Newark Liberty has had what the TSA and Port Authority say are an alarming amount of guns seized from passengers trying to board planes with them. And most of those things are loaded. It's become an epidemic, said Thomas Carter, the Transportation Security Administration’s director for New Jersey, during a Wednesday news conference at the airport. “Guns and ammunition are never allowed to pass through a security checkpoint to be carried onto a flight, even if a traveler has a concealed carry permit,” Cart…

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by Jerry DeMarco