Hidden weapons continue to be a problem at Detroit Metro and other airports.
Transportation Security Administration officers confiscated two loaded 9 mm handguns in recent days from two travelers' carry-on bags at the Romulus airport, according to a TSA release. One seizure was last Friday and the other on Sunday.
Wayne County Airport Police officers responded to the checkpoints and took the weapons, authorities said. TSA can issue a civil penalty to travelers with guns at checkpoints. The fine for a first offense typically is $4,100 and can rise as high as $13,669.
“Outstanding job by our TSA officers who prevented these two firearms from boarding planes this last weekend,” Steve Lorincz, Detroit’s TSA federal security director, says in the statement.
So far in 2020, TSA has seized 26 firearms at Detroit Metro checkpoints. Last year, 47 guns were found.
Passengers can put unloaded firearms in checked baggage if packed in a hard, locked case. They must declare the gun at the airline check-in counter. Ammunition must be packed separately.