Loaded gun found in carry-on luggage at Boise Airport is 7th firearm seized this year
A female passenger was cited Wednesday after officers with the Transportation Security Administration at Boise Airport found a loaded firearm in her carry-on luggage during routine screening.
At around 11:40 a.m., a TSA officer spotted the image of a handgun while the passenger’s luggage was being the X-ray scanned, according to a TSA news release. Airport law enforcement was notified immediately, and a North American Arms .22-caliber handgun loaded with five rounds of ammunition was discovered.
The passenger, who was ticketed on a flight to Salt Lake City, was cited for possession of a firearm at the airport checkpoint, the news release said. TSA said it would review the circumstances of the incident and levy a civil penalty against the passenger as well.
This is the seventh firearm discovered by TSA in carry-on luggage at the Boise Airport this year, even though travel has been much lighter because of the coronavirus.
The recommended civil penalty for having a firearm in carry-on luggage starts at $2,000 and can increase to the statutory maximum of more than $10,000 per violation.
Firearms may be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, and placed in checked baggage. Ammunition and firearm parts are also prohibited in carry-on baggage and must be checked.
At the airport during check-in, a passenger must go to the ticket counter to declare a firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts, according to the TSA.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 12:15 PM.
