BWI Passenger Busted With Two Surprising (And Illegal) Items in Carry-On Bags

BALTIMORE, MD– A man was arrested Wednesday morning after he placed his two carry-on bags on the X-ray belt at a security checkpoint at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).

The man had a roller bag and what appeared to be a duffel bag when he approached the the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) checkpoint, authorities said.

Both items were sent through the X-ray. The roller bag contained a loaded handgun, packed with two empty extra magazines. What they found in the duffel bag was even more surprising, though.

"[It] appeared to be a duffel bag, but it was actually a pet carrier with a small dog inside," authorities said in a statement.

"It's difficult to say which of the two was more surprising -- the X-ray image of the gun, or the image of the dog's moving skeleton."

Authorities pointed out, firearms are never allowed at security checkpoints, and animals should never be placed in X-ray machines.

When the TSA officers spotted the loaded, semi-automatic, 9mm handgun in a gun case inside the roller bag, they contacted Maryland Transportation Authority police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and arrested the man on state weapons charges.

The man was also found to be carrying a small knife.

What is the proper procedure for transporting firearms and pets on flights?

Firearms are never permitted in carry-on bags. Firearms are permitted in checked bags if the following requirements are met:

• They are declared to the airline in advance.
• They are unloaded and properly packed.
• The carrier possesses the necessary permits.

As for flying with a pet, authorities say, "Travelers should not allow their pets to pass through the X-ray machine."

Passengers with pets should remove their pets from their carrier when they reach the checkpoint, and carry the animal through the metal detector. The empty pet carrier should go on the belt and pass through the X-ray machine.

"Many pet carriers look like duffel bags, and TSA officers don’t realize that there is a pet inside a carry-on bag until they see the animal’s skeleton show up on the X-ray image," authorities said.

More information on how to properly travel with a small pet can be found on TSA's website.