NEW YORK — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found a disassembled semi-automatic handgun inside two containers of peanut butter, concealed in a checked bag.
The Rhode Island man responsible for smuggling the weapon was arrested.
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The TSA at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York found the disassembled gun after a checked bag triggered an alarm with an X-ray scanner, a TSA spokesperson stated.
A TSA officer inspected the luggage and found .22 caliber gun parts wrapped in plastic and “jammed” into the peanut butter, the spokesperson said.
The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets, the spokesperson confirmed.
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TSA officials notified Port Authority Police of the weapon, who then confiscated the item, located the owner, and arrested him, the spokesperson informed.
The man faces a civil penalty for attempting to bring an undeclared weapon on board an aircraft.
The penalty has a fine of a maximum $15,000.
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Flyers are able to transport firearms in a plane; however, they must have a proper permit.
Guns must also be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided case to be deemed safe for transport.
Securely packed guns must be declared and transported as a checked luggage.