NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Transportation Security Administration officers found themselves in a sticky situation at JFK Airport on Thursday.
A Rhode Island man was arrested after he tried to conceal pieces of a disassembled semi-automatic weapon within two jars of Jif peanut butter, TSA officials said Friday.
The .22 caliber gun parts were wrapped in plastic and had been jammed into the middle of the two plastic jars, and the gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets.
According to the agency, the discovery was made after the man passed through an X-ray unit at Terminal 8 and an alarm went off. A TSA officer opened the bag and, upon closer inspection, discovered the concealed firearm parts.
Port Authority Police confiscated the items, tracked down the traveler in the terminal and arrested him.
"The gun parts were artfully concealed in two smooth creamy jars of peanut butter, but there was certainly nothing smooth about the way the man went about trying to smuggle his gun," said John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for JFK Airport. "Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission—especially during the busy holiday travel period."
Officials said the man now faces a stiff civil penalty for carrying a weapon, which was recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.
Travelers may transport their firearms on a flight if they have a proper permit and the gun is properly packed. Firearms and firearm parts must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. Then an airline representative will make sure that the firearm is transported in the belly of the plane.
Replica firearms are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage.
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