PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — TSA officers at Philadelphia International Airport intercepted a man who tried to get through security with an antique pistol in his carry-on bag.
When officers detected the gun on Sunday, the Middletown, Pennsylvania man told them it was a gift from his father.
Officials said the revolver, which was not loaded, was packed among some articles of clothing.
“You just don’t toss a firearm into a carry-on bag along with your clothes, even if it is unloaded,” Gerardo Spero, airport federal security director, said in a statement. “Now, in addition to being charged with a criminal citation by the police, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint.”
A penalty for carrying a firearm can be as much as $15,000.
TSA officers confiscated a record 45 guns at Philadelphia International last year. So far this year, officials have intercepted 15 guns.