Restricted items will be confiscated

TSA agents at Boise’s airport have removed a long list of restricted items from travelers in the last year, in one instance, a sledgehammer. Items aren’t necessarily returned to owners, but can result in heavy fines. Stock photo
By:
Pat Caldwell
WEISER – The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) is trying to get the word out to Idahoans to be prudent regarding what they stow into their carry-on luggage before they step on an passenger jet.
During a Jan. 8 news conference at the Boise Airport, the federal agency ticked off a list of restricted items it seized last year from carry-on luggage.
The list included knives, ammunition, ammunition magazines, guns and in one case, a sledgehammer. The agency also impounded AR-15 rifle magazines, a Bowie knife, a handsaw and firearms of all types including a non-operational 3-D printed Glock.
The agency reported it found a record 64 firearms at Idaho’s six airfields in 2024. The agency reported it discovered 49 firearms – up from 42 found in 2023 – at the Boise Airport in 2024.
According to a press release by the federal agency, “when a TSA officer discovers a prohibited item in carry-on luggage, they offer the traveler the opportunity to place that item in checked luggage, turn it over to a non-traveling family member or friend or return it to their vehicle if its parked nearby.”
The restricted items were uncovered during routine X-ray screening at airport security checkpoints.
When a Transportation Security Administration officer spots an image of a gun on an X-ray, airport security is called to the security check point.
According to the federal agency press release “a law enforcement officer removes the firearm from the X-ray tunnel and contacts the traveler. What happens to the firearm and the traveler is up to the discretion of the airport law enforcement agency,”
A firearm discovered in carry-on luggage can translate into criminal citations and a fine of up to $14,950.
According to the TSA “even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, firearms are not permitted in carry-on.”
Lori Dankers, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Agency, said her tip for airline passengers is to “unpack your bag before you pack it for your airline trip.”
“People bring things and don’t plan ahead. They don’t check what might or might not be allowed,” said Dankers.
The easiest way to check, said Dankers, is to go online to https://www.tsa.gov/ and click on the icon labeled “What can I bring” in the upper right corner of the website.
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