TSA confiscated nearly 4,000 guns at airport checkpoints in 2017
Washington DC Feb 1 2018 There was a realistic-looking replica of a suicide vest found in a checked bag at an airport in El Paso. A block of inert explosives was discovered in a carry-on bag at an airport in Florida. Hand grenades were confiscated from luggage at airports all over the country.
These, along with 3,957 firearms, were among the items discovered agents with the Transportation Security Administration discovered at airport security checkpoints in 2017.
In its “TSA Year in Review” report, the agency said a “record-setting” number of firearms were found in carry-on bags. With nearly 4,000 firearms for the year, that translates to about 10 firearms a day.
That’s up roughly 17 percent from 2016, when 3,391 firearms were found at checkpoints, TSA said. And the number of firearms found has risen steadily since TSA began tracking the number in 2005, when 660 firearms were found.
According to the agency 2 million travelers a day went through security check points last year and a total of 771.5 million passengers were screened.
TSA said nearly 35 percent of the firearms found had a round in the chamber. And “the most firearms discovered in one-month — a whopping 31″ were found in August at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the report.
A chart shows the number of firearms TSA found at airport security checkpoints around the country. (TSA)
Below are the top 10 airports where firearms were found and the number loaded with ammunition.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International: 245, 222 loaded.
- Dallas/Fort Worth International: 211, 165 loaded.
- George Bush Intercontinental — Houston: 142, 124 loaded.
- Denver International: 118, 102 loaded.
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International: 115, 109 loaded.
- Tampa International: 97, 90 loaded.
- Orlando International: 94, 82 loaded.
- Dallas Love Field: 93, 81 loaded.
- Nashville International: 89, 71 loaded.
- Seattle-Tacoma International: 75, 60 loaded.
It wasn’t just guns. Passengers also tried to board with numerous other hazardous items.
A passenger was found with a live flashbang grenade in a carry-on bag at the San Diego International Airport. In Raleigh, a live smoke grenade was also found in a carry-on bag.
“Not only do smoke grenades deploy a thick blanket of smoke, they also burn extremely hot and are considered hazmat,” TSA said in a statement.
Another problem was many items appeared to be real but in fact weren’t.
The suicide vest mentioned earlier is one example. The traveler, officials said, worked as a contractor dealing with explosive ordnance disposal, and the items were used as training aids. In another case, a military instructor said he “forgot” his carry-on bag contained inert explosives.
Officials advised that if your line of work necessitates the use of such devices, “plan ahead and find another way to transport” the training items.
When seen on the X-ray monitor, TSA said, “we don’t know if they’re real, toys, or replicas until TSA explosives experts are called upon.”
Washington Post
