TSA Reveals Its Top 10 Catches of 2011

By: News Staff on January 04, 2012

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A science project resembled an improvised explosive device. Photo courtesy of the TSA.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a list of its top 10 good catches of 2011. “Some are dangerous, some simply look dangerous and can cause major delays, and others are just plain weird,” spokesman Bob Burns wrote in a post on the TSA’s blog.

The top 10 include:

10. Snakes, turtles, and birds were found at Miami International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

9. A science project shut down a checkpoint in Omaha. According to another TSA blog post, the college student “had no way of knowing his improvised mint tin would look like an improvised explosive device on our X-ray monitor.”

8. An artfully concealed non-metallic martial arts weapon called a “tactical spike” was found in the sock of a passenger at Pensacola after being screened by a body scanner.

7. Inert landmines were found at Salt Lake City.

6. A stun gun disguised as a smartphone was found at Los Angeles International Airport.

5. A flare gun with seven flares was found in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Norfolk.

4. Two throwing knives concealed in a hollowed out book were found at Washington National.

3. More than 1,200 firearms were discovered at TSA checkpoints across the nation in 2011.

2. A loaded .380 pistol was found strapped to passenger’s ankle with the body scanner at Detroit. “He forgot it was there,” Burns wrote in the blog post.

1. Small chunks of C4 explosives concealed in a tobacco can were found in a passenger’s checked luggage at Yuma International airport. “He was bringing it home to show his family,” Burns wrote.

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