A PASSENGER was stopped at the airport after he was caught trying to bring a missile launcher with him in his checked suitcase.
He claimed that he wanted to bring it home as a ‘souvenir’.
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The male passenger was travelling through Baltimore Airport from Kuwait when he was stopped by Transport Security Administration (TSA).
The traveller, originally from Texas, explained that he was active military personal.
When questioned, he said it was a souvenir he wanted to bring home.
While the weapon wasn’t a live device, he was forced to hand it over to be destroyed, as replica weapons are prohibited.
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TSA tweeted: “.@TSA officers at @BWI_Airport detected this missile launcher in a checked bag early this morning.
“Man said he was bringing it back from Kuwait as a souvenir.
“Perhaps he should have picked up a keychain instead!”
Thankfully he still managed to catch his flight.
Twitter users were confused why the man thought he could take it through with him.
One woman wrote: “What was he thinking oh he wasn’t?”
Another remarked: “I understand that the traveller was a member of the military. I feel for my fellow military brother, but you can’t bring something like that back in your bags.”
However, others didn’t think it should be an issue: “If it was empty, it shouldn’t be a problem. A harmless tube of composite and metal.”
Someone else added: “It’s a completely useless empty tube and it was never a ‘missile launcher’ but great work.”
Are replica weapons banned from planes?
According to the UK government website: “You cannot take any guns or firearms (including air rifles and starting pistols) as hand luggage.
“You may be able to take them as hold luggage – check with your airline before you travel.”
The ban includes:
- imitation explosive devices (including replica or model guns)
- mines, grenades, and other explosive military stores
- fireworks and pyrotechnics
- smoke canisters
- smoke cartridges
- dynamite
- gunpowder
- plastic explosives (including black powder and percussion caps)
- flares
- hand grenades
- gun cigarette lighters
Earlier this year, a man tried to check in a replica grenade launcher on his flight.
While it wasn’t assembled, security were alerted and the item was confiscated.
Passengers who want to take things home which are banned on planes can use a delivery service instead which specialises in collecting items at the airport to be sent to the destination.
