TSA Catches Loaded Guns, Passenger with Fake ID at Newark Airport
There have been several recent incidents at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers recently stopped two passengers with loaded guns within a day of each other. In both incidents, passengers had a loaded handgun inside their carry-on luggage, which TSA officers identified.
One incident occurred early Monday, September 4, while the other occurred early Tuesday, September 5. The guns were seized by Port Authority Police.
“We have seen one of the busiest summer travel seasons on record and detecting prohibited or illegal items in security checkpoints slows down the screening process,” said New Jersey’s TSA Federal Security Director Thomas Carter. “Guns are never allowed in carry-on luggage.”
Bringing a gun through a security checkpoint can result in a federal civil penalty as high as $14,950. TSA determines the amount on a case-by-case basis. TSA PreCheck eligibility is also revoked for at least five years.
Sixteen firearms have been detected at Newark Airport so far this year, up from 14 in all of 2022.
Newark TSA Officer Catches Fake ID
The airport had another recent incident as well. TSA officer Emma Denby prevented an individual from getting on an airplane with a fake ID.
According to Homeland Security Today, the woman handed Officer Denby a California state ID and then started acting “a little nervous.”
When the credential authentication technology (CAT) machine prompted Denby to perform an ID and boarding pass check, the passenger gave Denby another California license, saying, “Oh, that’s an old one. Here is my real one.”
“I decided to check that the information on both matched to make sure they were both hers,” recalled Denby. “The date of birth, specifically the year she was born, did not match. I asked the passenger how old she was. That age did not match up with the initial ID she presented to me. Then, she said that the first ID she gave me was her sister’s.”
TSA supervisors and Port Authority Police were notified, and the passenger was charged with possession of fraudulent identification.
“It was a real good (fake) ID, but we had a CAT machine and a really good officer on duty. (Officer Denby) definitely has a good eye for detail,” said TSA supervisory officer Robert Britt.