Sometimes, it is surprising that people continue to try to carry prohibited items inside an aircraft, knowing that they’re most likely going to get caught.
It won’t just end there. Depending on the severity of the violation, there could be an arrest, a trial, and potentially enough jail time for the suspect to realize they should not have tried to smuggle weapons on a flight, where security is extremely tight.
An incident has been making news from Indianapolis, where a man’s checked luggage contained two live smoke grenades, and one of them was found inside a peanut butter jar.
The suspect, whose name has not been revealed, tried to smuggle the two smoke grenades at Indianapolis International Airport, but vigilant security personnel spotted both items and immediately called the suspect in for questioning.
TSA Explosives Specialist Stepped In
According to a report by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the passenger’s checked bag triggered an alarm and was taken in for additional screening. Then, a supervisory TSA officer and explosives specialist found the two smoke grenades.
One of them was Michael Dunphy, who worked as a TSA explosives specialist for eighteen years. He also worked in the U.S. Navy as an explosive ordnance disposal tech for over two decades. He said:
“After all contents were removed from the bag, I thought, ‘Weren’t there two grenades in this bag?’
“After additional inspection of all the contents in the bag, it became obvious the second grenade was in the peanut butter jar, so I was surprised!”
Thanks to the TSA’s quick response, the live smoke grenades did not impact airport operations, although Indianapolis Airport Authority Police were also called to the checked baggage area for assistance.
The bag’s owner was called when the TSA learned that he was in the airport. TSA Federal Security Director Aaron Batt said:
“With the concealment method used, we had concern about the intentions and, as a result, quickly incorporated the airport police and airline station manager to ensure we approached the traveler in a cautious and safe manner.
“The technology in place for checked baggage performed well and gave our officers a chance to review an image that resulted in the need for physical inspection of the targeted area highlighted by the equipment.”
The Passenger Said His Friend Asked Him To Do It
Upon being quizzed, the explanation that the passenger gave was that a friend told him he could get smoke grenades through TSA (checked baggage screening) by storing them in a peanut butter jar.
For Dunphy, though, this was the first time he had encountered something like this. He said:
“Usually, alarms turn out to be unusual items versus an actual threat, so this was my most memorable call over the last few years.”
While the TSA personnel were vigilant in detecting the smoke grenades, it could have proven dangerous if they had been overlooked. Dunphy added:
“It’s not what you don’t know that is going to hurt you; it’s what you do know and take for granted that may harm you one day as we all get complacent with what is familiar.”
Giving credit to TSA Officer Anthony Vela and TSA checked baggage officers for preventing a potential incident, he said:
“STSO Vela and the checked baggage officers did an excellent job identifying a possible threat, and they properly followed standard operating procedures.”
Revealing what could have gone wrong had the grenades made it onto the flight, Batt said:
“Although you may not have intentions for something to occur, carrying prohibited items always has the potential for unintentionally causing harm.
“Imagine in this case had the pressurization caused the device to accidentally release smoke filling the cabin and aircraft while in flight.”
He added:
“Our TSA officers see thousands of images daily with most instances resolved without deadly and dangerous items, but when that instance does occur, we need to be ready, and we demonstrated that vigilance and capability here.”
Notably, the TSA’s report does not reveal the motive behind the passenger carrying the live smoke grenades or whether he was charged with any crime or faced any consequences.