TSA
A passenger travelling through an airport was found to be carrying two live smoke grenades inside their luggage, including one stuffed inside a jar of peanut butter.
The unusual discovery was made at Indianapolis International Airport after the passenger’s checked bag was flagged for additional screening by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
When explosives specialist Michael Dunphy and a supervisory TSA officer inspected the luggage, they initially found one live smoke grenade. However, they realized a second device was still unaccounted for.
“After all contents were removed from the bag, I thought, ‘Weren’t there two grenades in this bag?'” Dunphy said. “After additional inspection of all the contents in the bag, it became obvious the second grenade was in the peanut butter jar, so I was surprised!”
Smoke grenade found in peanut butter jar at Indianapolis Airport
According to the TSA, the traveler later claimed a friend had told them they could get the smoke grenades through screening by hiding them inside a jar of peanut butter. As you’d imagine, the fact that one of them was hidden in this way sparked concerns.
“With the concealment method used, we had concern about the intentions and, as a result, quickly incorporated the airport police and airline station manager to ensure we approached the traveler in a cautious and safe manner,” Federal Security Director Aaron Batt said.
TSA
After the grenades were found, the passenger was sent back to the ticket counter. The post doesn’t mention if they faced any further consequences or were charged with any crimes. It also doesn’t reveal what exactly they were planning to do with the devices.
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“Although you may not have intentions for something to occur, carrying prohibited items always has the potential for unintentionally causing harm,” Batt added. “Imagine in this case had the pressurization caused the device to accidentally release smoke filling the cabin and aircraft while in flight.”
The TSA reminded travelers that attempting to hide prohibited items in luggage will not help them get through security and can instead lead to more serious consequences.
This isn’t the only strange discovery in an airport recently. One passenger discovered a box of poison frogs in Amsterdam, while another was evacuated when a laser hair removal device was mistaken for dangerous luggage.
