 |
| Loaded Gun (HOU) |
37 Firearms Discovered This Week
– Of the 37 firearms, 34 were loaded and 15 had rounds
chambered. See a complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post.
 |
| Inert C-4 (TPA) |
Inert
Ordnance and Grenades etc.
- We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly basis.
Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine,
etc., it is prohibited. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in
checked baggage, they can cause significant delays in checkpoint screening.
While they may be novelty items, you cannot bring them on a plane. Read
here on why inert items cause problems.
- Six blocks of inert C-4 were discovered in a checked bag at Tampa (TPA).
- Five inert grenades were discovered in checked baggage this week. Two were discovered at Dothan (DHN), one at Tucson (TUS), and the other two at Cincinnati (CVG).
 |
| Left - Right: Inert CS Grenades (CVG), Inert Pineapple Grenades (DHN) |
Artfully
Concealed Prohibited Items –
It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure no prohibited
items are inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag or on your
body, you could be cited and quite possibly arrested by local law enforcement.
Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found by our
officers in strange places.
- An 18” sword cane was discovered at Ontario (ONT).
- Three credit card knives were discovered this week. Two at Albuquerque (ABQ), and the other at Charlotte (CLT).
- A knife concealed in a pen was discovered at San Jose (SJC).
- A hairbrush dagger was discovered at Sacramento (SMF).
- A knife was detected on a key chain at Albuquerque (ABQ).
Miscellaneous
Prohibited Items
- In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our officers
also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and
pellet guns, Airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of
sharp pointy things…
.bmp.jpg "Cane Sword (ONT)") |
| Cane Sword (ONT) |
 |
| Top - Bottom / Left - Right: Key Chain Knife (ABQ), Key Chain Knife (CAK), Pen Knife (SJC), Starter Pistol (JAX), Credit Card Knife (ABQ), Bear Mace (OMA). |
 |
| Discovered at GSO |
AIT
Discovery: A knife
was discovered in the sock of a Greensboro (GSO) passenger after an anomaly was
spotted with imaging technology
Stun Guns – 15 stun guns were
discovered this week in carry-on bags around the nation. Three were discovered
in Atlanta (ATL), two in Denver (DEN), two more in Sacramento (SMF), and the
remainder were discovered at Birmingham (BHM), Nashville, (BNA), Houston, (IAH),
Los Angeles (LAX), Omaha (OMA), Portland (PDX), Santa Ana (SNA), and Yakima (YKM).
 |
| Discovered At (L-R) SMF, YKM, OMA, ATL, PDX, ATL |
Firearms
Discovered This Week in Carry-On Bags
 |
| Guns Discovered at (Left - Right / Top to Bottom) LAX, SAT, TYS, MOB, PHX, MIA, DHN |
*In
order to provide a timely weekly update, date is compiled from a preliminary
report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is reported in the
weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year numbers TSA
provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not estimates.
You
can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be
declared to the airline.
You can go here for more details on how to properly travel
with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and
locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm
laws for each point of travel prior to departure.
Unfortunately
these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about
these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are
finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the
throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up
with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a
penalty as high as $7,500.00. This is a friendly reminder to please
leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an
individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law
enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had
these items.
If
you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you check out our post highlighting the dangerous, scary, and downright unusual items our
officers found in 2012. The 2011 list can be found here.
If
you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you
can contact us by
clicking here.
34 comments:
AIT Discovery: A knife was discovered in the sock of a Greensboro (GSO) passenger after an anomaly was spotted with imaging technology
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Another item that would have been detected by a WTMD and at a much lower cost to taxpayers.
TSA squanders our tax dollars!
I get your newsletter weekly and it is hard to believe that there are that many STUPID people that try to get through security with weapons. How can you honestly claim you forgot about your loaded gun in you bag, that is about as lame as is comes.. Keep up the good work TSA.
Why is the weekly total of contraband items - guns - consistently around 40? The TSA is not getting the message across to those who insist upon trying to bring guns on airplanes in their carry-on luggage. My suggestion is that large signs be placed at the entrance to airports with a picture of a gun and the words "No! Bad! No!" Perhaps a recorded message saying "No guns!" could be played over loudspeakers.
This has probably been asked already, but why aren't these incidences being reported by the general media. That would be a way of getting word out in addition to the sign suggestion.
And the TSA Today thread has conveniently been moved to another page and out of sight, with only 47 comments.
screen shot/DHS OIG statement
Anonymous said...
"This has probably been asked already, but why aren't these incidences being reported by the general media. That would be a way of getting word out in addition to the sign suggestion."
February 8, 2014 at 5:03 AM
Are you kidding?? These golly-gee-look-what-we-found! fairytales are reported all over the media, constantly. Every newspaper in the country trumpets them. And, of course, repeats the TSA's bogus claims about How Important they are and how the agency is saving us all from certain disaster.
It's a wonder every Home Depot and Ace Hardware in the country isn't staffed by the blue-shirted wonders. All those knives! All those scary pointy things!
Yeah! The Naked Scanners found something!
Of course, a metal detector could have also found it.
And all those artfully concealed items and not a single terrorist.
Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find one someday.
Of course no terrorists were found.....difficult to be an effective terrorist with a plastic knife when those pesky TSA agents took away the loaded gun you were trying to smuggle onto a plane.
It seems that there is no lower limit to the disgusting (and illegal) actions of TSA and its employees. Just in the last few weeks we have seen at least two TSA employees arrested and two reported abusive acts by TSA employees while on the job.
TSA, when did your employees decide that they can question a person over what they are reading?
TSA Agents Interrogate Jewish Author For Reading Conservative Newspaper
"Award winning Jewish author Phyllis Chesler was questioned and had her bag searched at New York’s JFK Airport as a result of a TSA agent’s suspicions over the fact that she was reading a conservative newspaper."
And if the anti-semitism from TSA isn't enough to wake up America this next story demonstrates why there is no place in this country for the likes of TSA.
“He’s Wearing a Diaper!”: TSA Agent Humiliates Cancer Victim
"A cancer victim who suffers from incontinence was humiliated during an incident last week when a TSA agent loudly announced “he’s wearing a diaper” to waiting travelers, before laughing and subjecting the man to a strip search."
"After the man was forced to repeatedly explain that he had wet his pants due to his medical condition, TSA screeners subjected him to another pat down before asking the man to “drop his pants” so that they could see the “suspicious padding” around his waist."
Seems all of the statements coming out of TSA about treating people with dignity and respect are just background noise to keep people in line while their human and civil rights are being destroyed by TSA.
I say that the time to bring the reign of TSA to and end has arrived. TSA has no respect for citizens or their rights.
8:21 AM CST
submitted post complies with all aspects of the illegal TSA posting guidelines. Copy preserved for submission to DHS OIG.
I am VERY surprised that nothing is EVER found at MCO Orlando.....
Please everyone,
Understand that all this contraband is result of TSA "shopping" it's own checkpoints. These are not actual travelers bringing guns, grenades, knifes, etc. through the security lines. Just try to find all resulting arrest reports...they don't exist.
all these guns and a wet adult diaper. you must be so proud.
RB sez - "Another item that would have been detected by a WTMD and at a much lower cost to taxpayers.
"
While I did not see it indicated in the original article, this was actually a ceramic knife, and as such would not have been detected by the WTMD.
Anon sez - "These are not actual travelers bringing guns, grenades, knifes, etc. through the security lines."
This is not a true statement. The items included in the weekly/yearly reviews are not items that are a part of the testing system for TSA. These items are discovered during normal screening of passengers. The situation is taken over by local LEOs once an item of interest is discovered (such as the large knives, guns, explosives and the like), it is turned over to local LEOs. The charges or lack thereof are solely at the discretioon of those local LEOs.
SSSS for some reason sez - "Of course, a metal detector could have also found it."
If you are referring to the knife at GSO, it was actually a ceramic knife (I know it was not listed as such in the original post!).
West
TSA Blog Team
West wrote:
"While I did not see it indicated in the original article, this was actually a ceramic knife, and as such would not have been detected by the WTMD."
Looks to me like a metal blade with rust on it, West. Enlarge the picture.
screen shot/DHS OIG statement
I'll try again since my comment was "accepted" and I didn't enter any magic words (have you done away with them):
West wrote:
"While I did not see it indicated in the original article, this was actually a ceramic knife, and as such would not have been detected by the WTMD."
Looks to me like a metal blade with ruse on it, West. Enlarge the picture.
screen shot/DHS OIG statement.
GSOLTSO said...
RB sez - "Another item that would have been detected by a WTMD and at a much lower cost to taxpayers.
"
While I did not see it indicated in the original article, this was actually a ceramic knife, and as such would not have been detected by the WTMD.
How convenient to roll out that bit of propaganda after the fact. You guys will do anything to justify the abuses heaped on the public.
GSOLTSO said...
RB sez - "Another item that would have been detected by a WTMD and at a much lower cost to taxpayers.
"
While I did not see it indicated in the original article, this was actually a ceramic knife, and as such would not have been detected by the WTMD.
----------------------------
How many millions of dollars have been spent to find a ceramic knife? It doesn't matter what material it is, nobody is taking over a plane with a knife anymore. It's even more ridiculous when passengers can get metal knives at restaurants past security and on some flights.
Hey, West, why no reply to RB's questions about the woman being interrogated over her reading material? Or the man humiliated and strip-searched over his adult diaper?
Oh, I know -- because he's just one among tens of thousands, so what difference does it make? And the woman with the Scary Terroristy Reading Material is also just one among tens of thousands whose civil liberties are routinely violated by the blue crusaders.
Yeah, pffft. Nothing see here, move along.
(screenshot)
Susan Richert sez - "Looks to me like a metal blade with rust on it, West. Enlarge the picture."
It may have that appearance, but I spoke with the person that discovered the knife, it was ceramic.
RB sez - "How convenient to roll out that bit of propaganda after the fact."
Merely stating a fact that was omitted from the original report.
West
TSA Blog Team
Again, enlarge the picture and then read this about ceramic knives:
"ODORS - Ceramic material is not very porous at all. This keeps the blade from transferring odors from one food item to another. You can cut something spicy, give it a quick rinse and then cut something else. The spiciness won’t transfer to the next food item.
SANITARY - Ceramic blades are very dense, with very little pores. Just like your face, the fewer pores there are, the less dirt and grime can get into the pores. A quick rinse in warm water will get your ceramic knife a lot cleaner than a thorough scrubbing on a metal knife."
According to the above, a ceramic knife would not show the stains/spots that the knife in the picture clearly shows.
screen shot/DHS OIG statement
GSOLTSO said...
Susan Richert sez - "Looks to me like a metal blade with rust on it, West. Enlarge the picture."
It may have that appearance, but I spoke with the person that discovered the knife, it was ceramic.
RB sez - "How convenient to roll out that bit of propaganda after the fact."
Merely stating a fact that was omitted from the original report.
West
TSA Blog Team
February 11, 2014 at 12:34 PM
.........................
And other TSA employees have stated that the original Whole Body Strip Search Machines couldn't save images, couldn't transmit images, and those images were just fuzzy outlines not detailed images like we have learned to be the case.
When should I start believing TSA statements?
"It may have that appearance, but I spoke with the person that discovered the knife, it was ceramic."
1) Prove it.
2) Was the person charged with terrorism?
1:41 pm MST, 2.11.14
Blogger GSOLTSO said...
RB sez - "How convenient to roll out that bit of propaganda after the fact."
Merely stating a fact that was omitted from the original report.
And yet you fail to respond to the important part of the comment, which was "How many millions of dollars have been spent to find a ceramic knife? It doesn't matter what material it is, nobody is taking over a plane with a knife anymore. It's even more ridiculous when passengers can get metal knives at restaurants past security and on some flights." Any reply?
Ceramic knives you can buy at the store (which that one looks like) are manufactured with metal particles in them for the purpose of alarming a WTMD, so yes, that knife still would have alarmed the WTMD for sure.
I just read this comment on another site:
"Nope we almost never have to go threw security,my husband has a TSA card so we don't usually ever have to deal with that...
It's an ID card that says TSA on it.he does work in a major airport so he has a TSA card."
Is this woman saying that her husband's TSA card (whatever that is) allows them to board a flight without going through security?
Certainly seems like it.
screen shot
wintermute said:
And yet you fail to respond to the important part of the comment, which was "How many millions of dollars have been spent to find a ceramic knife? It doesn't matter what material it is, nobody is taking over a plane with a knife anymore. It's even more ridiculous when passengers can get metal knives at restaurants past security and on some flights." Any reply?
im guessing that this is one item that can be discovered with the technology that cannot be detected by a metal detector. another possibility is other non-metallic items such as explosives. the metal detector as far as i know will not detect explosives.
can anyone please provide a cost effect way of determining if explosives are on someone's body. perhaps this machine/technology can be brought forward as a solution to the issue instead of complaining about what is being used.
Anonymous said...
"It may have that appearance, but I spoke with the person that discovered the knife, it was ceramic."
1) Prove it.
2) Was the person charged with terrorism?
per tsa's mission, tsa is not to stop terrorists they are to stop weapons, explosives, and incendiaries from getting on a plane. i believe that a knife is considered a weapon and that is why it is prohibited.
Anonymous said...
Of course no terrorists were found.....difficult to be an effective terrorist with a plastic knife when those pesky TSA agents took away the loaded gun you were trying to smuggle onto a plane.
Silly man. A gun isn't what makes someone a terrorist as these blotter-style posts prove week after week.
And we already have news reports of people travelling with guns and other prohibited items that TSA missed.
If there really were terrorists just lining up at the gates hoping for the best we would be reading completely different items on this website and in the local media.
Ergo.... there are so very, very few terrorists out there trying to take down airplanes. So few that the might and power of the TSA seems like trying to kill a mosquito with a nuclear missile... overkill by any definition you try and use.
per tsa's mission, tsa is not to stop terrorists they are to stop weapons, explosives, and incendiaries from getting on a plane. i believe that a knife is considered a weapon and that is why it is prohibited.February 12, 2014 at 12:14 PM
-------------------------------------------
So why is TSA looking at ID's and interrogating people about their travels?
And dude, you really should learn how to use the shift key.
12,000,000 people flew last week on 210,000 flights. You allegedly found 37 firearms? I'll let you do the math.
The miniscule number of "scary items" you found and confiscated is insignificant and unworthy of mention, much less constant crowing by the blotter team. Let's not forget that the TSA misses 7 weapons for every 3 they find, so great work there.
How many bottles of water, lotion, shampoo, soda, etc., did you confiscate last week? Why won't you ever blog about that?
please show where it says that tsa is suppose to stop terrorists.
Keep up the good work, Bob! It's a hard job, but has to be done. Unfortunately, the general public just doesn't understand.
Oh, TSAnonymous of Feb 17 at 11:03am, the public understands quite well how "hard" the blotter team works.
Statistically insignificant blotter posts, uncorrected errors, pathetic spin, unethical edits, poorly worded propaganda, deleted public comments, social media blunders, etc. is de rigeur at the TSA Blotter.
*screenshot*
Part 1 of 2 comments
Continuing on, TSAnonymous of Feb 17 at 11:03am, we really can't expect too much of a blotter team that allows TSA employees to comment anonymously on its own blotter, pretending to be the American public.
Financial institutions, stock analysts, news outlets, etc. have been exposed doing the same thing and have been called to the carpet (and gov't regulators) for it.
It really doesn't surprise me how TSA "public relations" treats American taxpayers, just like many TSA employees do every day in American airports.
*screen shot*
Part 2 of 2
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