It takes a lot to shock airport security — but one recent flyer managed to do just that.
After a passenger tried to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday, December 15 with a bag full of prohibited items, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shared a photo of its contents as a “visual reminder of what not to bring to the security checkpoint.”
The agency also explained the circumstances of the smuggled hand luggage in a press release.
While TSA officers are “accustomed to seeing a variety of common and unusual items that passengers bring in their carry-on bags during routine X-ray screening at the security checkpoint,” the events that unfolded at LAX earlier this month “surprised even those with the longest seniority and the most experienced TSA officer,” the agency said.
Around 10 p.m. local time, a security officer flagged a piece of luggage at Terminal 4 for bag screening after an X-ray scan revealed its contents included “multiple prohibited items,” the TSA said. “When the bag was opened in the presence of the passenger, the TSA officer was shocked by its contents.”
Image of the TSA security checkpoint at LAX.
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The carry-on, which belonged to a passenger traveling to Philadelphia, contained 82 consumer fireworks — and that was just the beginning.
Also among the “range of prohibited items” packed by the passenger were two replica firearms, three knives and a canister of pepper spray, according to the TSA.
After discovering the prohibited items, TSA notified the Los Angeles International Airport Police Department, who confiscated the woman’s fireworks and interviewed her. The agency did not share any additional details about the passenger or why she had the items in her luggage.
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“The large number of prohibited items discovered in a single carry-on bag is extremely concerning,” LAX TSA Director of Federal Security Jason Pantages said in a statement.
“This passenger should have followed the tried and true TSA advice – unpack your bag before you pack it to make sure you don’t bring prohibited items into the security checkpoint,” Pantages continued. “We are in the middle of the holiday travel season when security checkpoints will be busy everywhere.”
The security director added that he hopes this incident serves as a reminder to “double-check the contents of your bag before arriving at the airport.”
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Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
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Also in the press release, TSA issued reminders about certain items discovered in the LAX incident.
As a type of explosive, fireworks are “never permitted on an aircraft in carry-on or checked baggage,” according to the TSA. Knives and replica firearms, meanwhile, “should travel in checked baggage.”
As for pepper spray, one 4-ounce container “is permitted in checked baggage provided it is equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge.”
“Self-defense sprays containing more than 2 percent by weight of tear gas, however, “are prohibited in checked baggage,” the agency stated. “Some airlines do not allow pepper spray to be carried, so passengers are encouraged to contact their airline.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education