Man caught at TSA checkpoint with 23 weapons in carry-on
Washington DC May 7 2022 A traveler passing through a security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport in Virginia was cited for trying to bring 23 prohibited items — mostly knives — in his carry-on bag.
Officials with the Transportation Security Administration said the man was stopped on Wednesday, May 4, after an X-ray of his bag revealed the cache of weapons. Among them, TSA officers found nine disposable scalpels, eight folding-blade knives, three throwing knives, a dagger and a switchblade.
In addition to the knives, the TSA found a single pair of brass knuckles — an item which is also banned in carry-on luggage.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police was called to the scene shortly after the discovery. Officers issued him a citation, the TSA said.
In a press release issued Thursday, the TSA noted that each one of the prohibited items — the blades and the brass knuckles — would have been permitted in a checked bag. When it comes to carry-on, however, the knives and knuckles are a big no-no.
A spokesperson for the TSA confirmed to Nexstar that the man abandoned the items at the checkpoint, rather than repack them in checked luggage. He was allowed to rebook his flight and continue to his destination.
“TSA would have had no issue had all 23 of these items been packed in a checked bag, but passengers certainly cannot carry these types of weapons into the cabin of an aircraft,” the TSA’s press release explains.
The agency further urged travelers to check with the TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” resource, to confirm which items they can — and cannot — pack in their luggage, carry-on or otherwise.
