Crime

Hatchet, homemade gun found in passenger’s carry-on bag at Maine airport

The 50-year-old man was traveling to Philadelphia when TSA found the weapons.

Recently Portland, Maine, TSA officers detected this homemade firearm in a man's carry-on bag. They also found a hatchet in the bag. Portland police responded and confiscated the firearm. Courtesy/TSA

By Morgan Rousseau

December 17, 2022

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials in Maine found a homemade firearm and hatchet Wednesday in a man’s carry-on luggage.

Portland police seized the firearm after the passenger, who was not named, went through a security checkpoint at Portland International Jetport, according to the Bangor Daily News.

New England TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez shared photos of the weapons on Twitter and used the hashtag “#Travelfail.”

“Yesterday @portlandjetport [and] @TSA officers detected this homemade firearm in a man’s carry-on bag. They also found a hatchet in the bag. Portland Police responded and confiscated the firearm,” said Velez, adding that it was the third time this year a firearm was detected at the jetport.

Yesterday @portlandjetport, @TSA officers detected this homemade firearm in a man's carry-on bag. They also found a hatchet in the bag. Portland Police responded and confiscated the firearm. This was the 3rd firearm detection at PWM this year. #Travelfail pic.twitter.com/QMpKaMYXIQ
— TSA_NewEngland (@TSA_NewEngland) December 15, 2022

Velez told MassLive that the passenger was a 50-year-old man traveling to Philadelphia and that the homemade firearm looked like a silver metal pipe with a “cylindrical shape” and various holes in it. The item also had a knob with a hole “protruding from one end,” according to the report.

Although police confiscated the firearm, officials allowed the passenger to keep the hatchet as long as he moved it into his checked luggage.

TSA said officials found a record number of guns—28—at security checkpoints at Logan International Airport in 2022. The previous record for guns found at Logan was 20, set in 2018.

Earlier this month, TSA officials at Logan Airport stopped two travelers who attempted to bring loaded guns through security. In the first incident on Dec. 8, a woman was issued a summons. In the second incident, a day later, a man was arrested when he could not provide a permit.