TSA Officers did just that when they found a sword in a walking cane at the X-ray
BOSTON – Everyone remembers that time. The time you caught your first prohibited item. And not just any item, but a weapon. Be it a gun, hunting knife, sword or a mass of wires with some type of organic material [charge] and a 9-volt battery.
Your heart momentarily stops, and then it starts to race.
You stop the belt, hit the alert, and it’s not a TIP (Threat Image Projection).
It is real!
You slowly look around to see if some type of nefarious character is in the area. You see nothing unusual.
That’s when your training kicks in. You call for a supervisor and go through the steps to mitigate the item. You use your resources.
Boston Logan International Airport TSA Officers did just that when they found a sword in a walking cane at the X-ray.
Their actions were so clean; they could have made a training video.
A Supervisory TSA Officer was called to the X-ray to review the images. Once the cane was secured, the passenger was asked about the cane and its hidden component. Clearly surprised, the passenger said he bought the cane and had no idea a sword was attached to the handle.
TSA notified Massachusetts State Police, and after they arrived, the passenger surrendered the cane. After police questioned him, the passenger was cleared to fly with no further action.