Two 9 millimeters, plus loads of bullets — 300 of them — and holsters to go with them, somehow got on board an Egypt Air flight out of JFK on Tuesday night. No one knew anything about the guns Mohammed Ibrahim stashed in his checked luggage until they were discovered in Cairo.
Full Story – HERE
Ooops.. someone at the TSA is going to get in trouble for that one. Interesting how a University professor would try and pull a stunt like that… you’d think he would be smarter. Plus if he’s traveling to another country I believe he would have to get a temporary import permit from that country, and an authorization to export from the U.S. …. maybe he had all those, but figured his work was done and didn’t bother to take the last required security steps at the airport?
Hat Tip: Bryce
Comments
10 responses to “Weapons Cache Eludes JFK Airport Screeners”
Having been involved in the export trade I can attest that you can’t cross international borders without,
a) an Egyptian Import License for the firearms, and
b) an Export License from the US State Department. http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/licensing/
As far as the ammo is concerned (from the US point of view), it is all OK not to have an export license; so as long as your ammo is packed securely in a fire-resistant metal box (Ammo Can), and that such can is clearly labeled with both its 1.4S HAZ Class and UN Number 0012 http://www.labelmaster.com/images/products/400×400/LEXP14S.jpg.
For the other sundry items, there may be further restriction as far as requiring an Export License from the US Commerce Department, but I doubt it.
In any case, all items must have been declared upon check-in at the JFK ticket counter.
Oh, and furthermore, the US Export License must be presented at the check-in counter, so that US Custom officials may properly lodge the export of the firearms in their log, and so that it may cross referenced and checked with the cargo manifest of the aircraft.
Thanks a lot for the info. I knew there would be a lot of paperwork involved, but not that much. It sounds like a real pain in the ass.
Just an FYI to the author of the article, the TSA has VERY LITTLE to do with firearms in airports. If it is in his checked baggage, it is up to the passenger to inform the TSA of it. The fact is that the TSA is not concerned with much anything other than ensuring there are no ASSEMBLED BOMBS or ELEMENTS THAT COULD BE USED IN BOMBS, or simply EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES, and considering that the passenger has ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO ACCESS TO THE CHECKED BAGGAGE AREA (UNDER THE CABIN) DURING FLIGHT, there is no reason for the sensational title and journalism. Personally, I’m disappointed in this website which is normally not so emotional. Very liberal way to deal with issues. Please check the facts next time.
I can’t figure out if your comment is spam or not, but ill answer it as if its real.
You say the TSA has little to do with firearms at airports… yet the passenger has to inform them etc.. etc… sounds to me like they have everything to do with firearms at airports. It is their job to insure nothing “bad” according to them gets onto the planes.
Again, I don’t really understand if you think that I wrote the original article, or if you are commenting on the one paragraph I wrote in this blog post. Maybe you work for the TSA? Either way it was their screw up because they don’t have the checks and balances that they would like fool the public into thinking they have.
I am not sure about what changes at the checkin counter for international flights or with Customs. This is where the passenger would have run into problems. This was well as he was well over the alowed amount of ammunition by most airlines.
You go to the counter when you check in. Declare your firearm to the airline and fill out a tag. This tag is placed in the case with the firearm. They call a tsa agent who verifies the firearm is unloaded. You close the case lock it (non-TSA lock) put it in your suitcase and hand it over for screening. It is very common for TSA screeners to screen bags with checked firearms.
If this passenger was flying on a mojor carrier or was using a shared screening station with domestic flights the destination of the baggage may not have been realized to be international by the TSA.
As far as the headline goes. I would agree that it sounds like someone walked through the passenger screening process with 2 firearms and ammunition.
As far as TSA goes I say throw them out with the bath water. Was this their failure or someone elses I am not sure.
It is not however their job to enforce the laws at the destination. That is the security personel at that sites job, Domestic or International.
One time I had two knives in my suitcase because I forgot they were there. Security missed them three times. Only the fourth time I went through security were they spotted on X-ray and confiscated. I was pissed, because one of them was expensive (Cold Steel, ’nuff said).
Ugh weak. Did you at least get the option to get them held for pickup by a friend or relative or something? I think it’s odd that they are just allowed to throw stuff away without even having a small time window where someone could claim it.
I have first hand knowledge of a person who accidentally left live ammunition (not a ton of it – a couple of 9mm pistol rounds and a .308Win round) in carryon luggage traveling to (and from) the United Kingdom. This person was back in the states for a few days when they unpacked the bag and realized their mistake.
While I agree with other commenters I doubt this guy had it in carryon luggage, TSA can, and frequently does, miss prohibited objects in carryon baggage.
That’s pretty crazy that it was able to make it there and back without being detected.