Airport authorities at Reagan National Airport have confirmed that a man from Alexandria, Virginia, was stopped and cited with 23 weapons — including knives, disposable scalpels, and brass knuckles in his carry-on luggage.
According to a press release from the airport, the TSA officers located the weapons when the man’s carry-on bag entered the security checkpoint’s X-ray machine. The bag was pulled for a search and the weapons stash of weapons was removed. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police were alerted and responded to the checkpoint and issued the man a citation.
According to the Transportation Security Administration, the man’s carry-on bag had:
- Nine disposable scalpels;
- Eight folding locking-blade knives;
- Three martial arts throwing knives;
- One dagger;
- One switchblade;
- One pair of brass knuckles.
TSA also confirmed that none of these items are allowed on an airplane via carry-on.
John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, said in a statement: “When passengers have prohibited items among their carry-on items, it slows down the screening process. Travelers play a role in the efficiency of checkpoint screening by knowing what should and should not be packed in a carry-on bag.”
“Even in the sometimes chaotic environment of the screening checkpoints, the TSA officers at our airport do an amazing job every day by keeping dangerous items out of the aircraft cabin,” Busch said. “It’s important to acknowledge them and the significance of their mission.”
The TSA recommended that the man download the myTSA app, so he could easily have used the “Can I bring?” feature, which would have advised him to pack the items in a checked bag. That would have sharpened his knowledge as to what can and cannot go into a carry-on bag.