TSA discusses confiscated items at Boise Airport in 2022, and laments a dubious record
A bowling pin, a nail gun, a ceremonial sword.
Those were just a few things that made the Transportation Security Administration’s top 10 list of unusual items confiscated from air travelers in Idaho in 2022.
TSA agents also once again seized a bunch of guns at the Boise Airport. Lots and lots of guns. A record number of guns.
At a press conference Tuesday at the Boise Airport, TSA Federal Security Director for Idaho Andy Coose revealed the list of prohibited items found in carry-on luggage in either Boise or at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport. The items all were discovered during routine X-ray screening at security checkpoints, he said.
Ceremonial sword
Nail gun
Stun gun
Replica firearm
Replica hand grenade
Bowling pin
Belt knife
Replica ammunition and whiskey stones
Collapsible baton
Knife necklace
Coose said many travelers make the mistake of putting items that could be used as a weapon in their carry-on bags. All of the above items, with the exception of the replica grenade, would be allowed in a checked bag, he said.
He also pointed out the obvious while holding up the small ceremonial sword: “I think this one goes without saying why you might not want this onboard an aircraft.”
Officials also noted that replica items look just like the real thing under X-ray scans and are a big no-no, and things such as a bowling pin could be used as a “bludgeoning device.”
One of the big reasons TSA officials hold this annual press conference, though, is to discuss guns — and to urge travelers to follow the law and take care when bringing firearms with them.
“There’s another very serious issue we want to address today, and that is the issue of travelers bringing firearms in carry-on luggage to the security checkpoint,” TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said.
Dankers said TSA agents grabbed more than 6,500 guns that were in carry-on luggage at airports nationwide in 2022, and 40 of those were discovered at the Boise Airport — six more than in 2021, and a new record. There were 19 guns found in carry-on bags in 2019, and the numbers has just increased each year.
Travelers who have a firearm discovered in their carry-ons are questioned by law enforcement at airports, and then it’s decided what action to take. The person could face criminal charges, and the TSA can levy a civil penalty of up to $15,000.
“It’s an expensive mistake,” Dankers said. “It’s one that’s going to slow you down and everybody behind you. And it’s also going to get that law enforcement contact.”
Firearms are allowed on a commercial aircraft, but they must be unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case in a checked bag. The magazine must be out of the firearm, and any ammunition should be placed in its original packaging. Guns are not allowed in the airport or in a plane’s cabin.
In addition to the 40 guns confiscated at the Boise Airport, there were eight such instances at the Idaho Falls airport and one at the Lewiston airport, TSA officials said.