NEWARK, N.J. - A man was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport this morning, March 19, after a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer detected a handgun frame concealed inside a sneaker box at a checkpoint in Terminal A.
A TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor detected the handgun frame as the man’s carry-on items entered the X-ray machine. TSA officers immediately contacted the Port Authority Police Department, which responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun frame and arrested the man on state weapons charges.
Firearm parts are not allowed past checkpoints because if several passengers each show up with a piece of a firearm, they could possibly assemble the components into a functioning weapon.
As a reminder, individuals who bring weapons to a checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
