Pennsylvania man arrested after TSA spots multiple handguns guns concealed in speaker case

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Four guns with multiple boxes of ammunition uncovered inside checked baggage
Local Press Release
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
These photos show some of the guns and ammunition that were detected by a TSA officer hidden inside a speaker cabinet in checked luggage at JFK Airport. (TSA photos)
JAMAICA, N.Y. – A Bucks County, Pennsylvania, man was arrested after a Transportation Security Administration officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport uncovered four handguns and a stash of ammunition artfully concealed inside a speaker case in checked luggage Thursday, Jan. 11.

TSA officers detected the guns as the man’s belongings triggered an alarm of the checked baggage scanning technology equipment. The luggage was opened and the guns were found to be concealed inside  a speaker cabinet. The handguns, all semi-automatic weapons, included two .40 caliber weapons, one .380 caliber handgun and a 9 mm handgun. Multiple boxes of ammunition for the guns were also detected.

TSA officials notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Homeland Security Investigations Unit of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, which responded and arrested the traveler.

Some of the ammunition and magazines that were detected by TSA along with four guns. (TSA photos)
The man, a resident of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was ticketed to fly to Ghana. Instead, he was arrested by federal officials. 

“This is another fine example of the good work that our TSA officers perform regularly here at Kennedy International Airport,” said John Bambury, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “Even though the traveler attempted to artfully conceal the weapons, a combination of our screening technology and staffing was able to uncover the weapons and alert federal law enforcement officials. It’s a testament to the efforts of the officers who uncovered this good catch.”

As a reminder, individuals who bring weapons to the airport are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. In addition, TSA has the authority to access civil penalties of up to $13,000. The complete list of penalties is posted online.

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