Ninja knives among TSA luggage finds
A ninja knife set was found in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Logan Airport on Memorial Day weekend, officials said. And that wasn’t the only contraband found in luggage at New England airports recently.
On May 25, Transportation Security Administration officers discovered a “replica pistol hookah” during a security screening at Logan. On Memorial Day, TSA officers at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut came across a 75mm artillery shell in the checked bag of a passenger, a 43-year-old man. The shell was inert and inoperable, according to TSA spokesman Dan Velez.
There was no law enforcement response but the passenger was escorted from the airport with the shell so it could be disposed of properly, Velez said.
Velez shared a photo of the shell on Twitter, along with the hashtag #travelfail.
“Inert or not ... artillery shells are a no go!” the tweet said.
Velez also shared a photo of the “Naruto ninja knife set” that was found in a passenger’s carryon bag at Logan on May 27. State Police took possession of the knives and the passenger was cleared to fly, Velez said.
“Knives should always be placed in checked bags only!” Velez wrote on Twitter.
After TSA officers found the “replica pistol hookah,” the device was turned over to State Police before the passenger, a 23year-old man, was allowed to continue on his way, officials said.
“We were not letting him board with the item because it’s a firearm replica,” Velez said.
TSA officials urge passengers to visit the TSA.gov website before traveling and check out the “What Can I Bring?” page, which features a lengthy list of what you can (and can’t) bring on a plane, and what you’ll need to put in checked luggage. (Artificial skeleton bones? You can bring those in your carry-on bag. Axes and hatchets? You’ll have to put those in checked luggage.)
To speed up the process at security checkpoints, TSA officials encourage travelers to arrive early and make sure their carry-on bag is organized.
“It takes time for TSA officers to make sure a jam-packed, cluttered, overstuffed bag is safe. And the more time it takes to screen your bag, the longer you — and everyone behind you — are stuck in line,” officials said.