An Indiana man was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers removed the components of a handgun and 15 bullets spread across two of the man’s carry-on bags at a Terminal B security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
It was the 12th gun caught at one of the airport checkpoints so far this year.
The 9mm handgun was detected when the TSA officer who was staffing a checkpoint X-ray monitor spotted the firearm parts inside two of the man’s carry-on bags. When the bags were searched, the components of the firearm were found along with the ammunition. Had the components been assembled, they would have resulted in the use of a working gun. TSA officials alerted Port Authority Police who confiscated the handgun components and arrested the man on weapons charges.
The traveler told officials that he had driven to the area, however his car was stolen, so he was flying home to Indiana and he thought it would be okay to travel with a disassembled gun. However, firearms and firearm parts are prohibited through a security checkpoint.
“The busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period officially gets underway on Friday and our TSA officers are focused on our mission to continue to stop weapons from being carried through our security checkpoints,” said Thomas Carter, TSA Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “It is important for travelers to know what can and cannot be carried through our checkpoints—especially during what is typically the busiest travel period of the year. Any prohibited item, from a firearm to an oversized liquid, that is detected in a carry-on bag slows down the checkpoint screening process for the travelers whose carry-on bags trigger an alarm for a prohibited item. You do not want to be that person.”
Individuals who own firearms “should familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations as it pertains to traveling with their guns,” Carter added. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
