A guy from Rhode Island is facing a sizable fine after it was claimed that on December 22, at JFK International Airport in New York City, he tried to stow away gun parts in two jars of peanut butter.
His checked baggage triggered a metal detector, causing TSA agents to inspect his luggage more closely.
The TSA discovered plastic-wrapped firearm components from a.22 caliber gun, including a loaded magazine, tucked inside two peanut butter jars.
According to John Essig, TSA’s Federal Security Director for JFK Airport, “The gun parts were artfully concealed in two smooth creamy jars of peanut butter, but there was certainly nothing smooth about the way the man went about trying to smuggle his gun.”
TSA said that Port Authority Police found the man and arrested him after seizing the weapons parts. A request for comment regarding potential charges the individual might face went unanswered by the police right away.
The TSA might impose a civil fine of up to $15k on the man.
This year, the TSA has stopped a record amount of guns at airport security checkpoints. More than 6,300 weapons had been seized as of Dec. 16, up from 5,972 in all of 2021.
