DETROIT – A handgun was found in a man’s carry-on luggage during x-ray screening at Detroit Metro Airport, officials said.
Officers with Transportation Security Administration said the handgun was found around 7 a.m. Monday (Aug. 9) in a Detroit man’s bag.
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The Wayne County Airport Police were alerted, and the traveler was arrested, authorities said.
The gun was not loaded, they said.
“Despite a steady increase in the number of travelers being screened each day, TSA is focused on its security mission and will remain vigilant to ensure that any type of security threat does not make it into the sterile area of the airport or onto an aircraft,” said Detroit’s TSA federal security director, Steve Lorincz.
TSA can impose civil penalties of up to $13,910 per violation, per person. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100, officials said. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck, they will lose those privileges for a period of time.
TSA said this is the 37th firearm detected at DTW this year. Authorities said a total of 47 firearms were detected at DTW security checkpoints in 2019, and 44 were detected in 2020.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter, officials said. Laws vary by state and locality.