Strange occurrences happen on a daily basis, all over the world. At such a diverse place like airport security, the case is no different. Criminals have been spotted, contraband has been confiscated, and bizarre objects pop up from anywhere.
Python Snake
A Ball Python was spotted wrapped up in a computer hard drive, undoubtedly the work of a smuggler. Not exactly the most efficient way to travel with a pet. A real-life version of "Snakes On A Plane" almost occured, hadn't the Miami agent noticed.
Moose Nuggets
Ah, the wonders of airport security. Who knows what one will find at the border? Moose droppings, perhaps? That’s exactly what was caught in a passenger’s carry-on bag, just a bag full of organic waste from Alaska. If anything, this caused some confusion.
Pigeons
Another bizarre smuggling attempt was foiled by customs officials when they caught the culprit with his pants down, literally. He had two live pigeons inside them. They were discovered during a full body search.
Smoke Gernades
Now here is where passengers really start to get risky with their carry-on possessions. Not only was this a grenade, but a military grade smoke canister. Since this could be taken as a real explosive, the airport could evacuate, leaving the perpetrator smoked with fines.
iPhones, Lots Of Them
It's actually becoming a commonplace event to smuggle iPhones into China to sell them for profit and avoid tax. On one passenger, 94 phones were found. He was detained at the border due to his strange activity and behavior.
Baby Shark
Maybe this person got that child "Baby Sharks" song stuck in their head and decided to do something about it. Maybe they were going to cook it for dinner. In the end, it’s still a fishy situation. Sharks were not meant to fly.
Eels
Seriously, now, what could have been the game plan here? The passenger was attempting to relocate an entire aquarium with 163 tropical fish, 22 invertebrates, and eels, all in a checked bag. The animals were all given back to wildlife services.
Seahorses
It may seem trivial at first, but the situation is actually a sad one. TSA agents located a large bottle of liquor in a passenger’s carry-on containing five decaying seahorses. Not only was it animal abuse, the species itself was endangered. The bottle was confiscated promptly.
Bullet Covered Gas Mask
This looks like an accessory prop from the movie Mad Max. Aside from the mask being completely terrifying, replica bullets are banned from carry-ons, so it was confiscated by officials.
Freddy Krueger's Hand
No, not an actual human hand. Just a terrifying mechanical one akin to that of Freddy Krueger. Some may argue that it is just as scary. Rest well knowing Elm Street is safe for now.
Mortar Round
Not all explosives are live to trigger an explosion, although that hypothesis should not be tested in such a public place like airports. This explosive was categorized as inert, thankfully not causing any delays or evacuations, but probably some fines.
A Cat
There is nothing wrong with wanting to take your pet along with you on a trip, and it is quite a normal occurrence. Sadly, some people get too carried away. A cat was found in checked luggage while the passenger was charged with animal abuse.
Giant Teddy Bear
There was nothing unusual with this bear, containing no contraband or forbidden items, but it was gigantic. A YouTuber wanted to see if they could fly with it, but due to its size, it needed a seat of its own or it could not travel. Sadly, it was left behind.
Homemade Bomb
Anyone could tell by simply looking at this bomb that it was a fake. Really, it looks like a prop. But looks are enough to begin an investigation by a TSA bomb specialist to verify the object as fraudulent and to cause delays and evacuations.
Landmine
A landmine was discovered in a check-in bag at Austin airport. Yes, you read correctly, a landmine. Although deemed safe, it raised alarm, and caused significant delays in the airport that given day.
Breakfast Burrito
Now this would make a good story any day. In Houston, inside a breakfast burrito, bags of meth were located. Since drugs were involved, the TSA is required to contact local law enforcement into the situation.
Turtles
When customs officials peered into four suitcases that had been abandoned in the arrivals area of a Manila airport, they made a shocking discovery: The luggage was packed with more than 1,529 turtles and tortoise. They were alive and have now been transferred to a wildlife traffic “monitoring unit.”
Movie Prop
Not to worry, it’s only a prop. Of course, the person on the flight sitting next to this was probably unimpressed. This corpse was a prop from the movie “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”, and was so lifelike even authorities were questioning what to do with it.
Lobster
It’s not uncommon to find a lobster, as your local supermarket would prove. But finding a 20-pound live lobster in a suitcase at the airport? Not as common. For the TSA agent involved, it was the biggest lobster he’s ever seen.
Live Human Child
A live human child was found within the suitcase of an 18-year-old girl in a smuggling attempt out of the country. She was hired by the child’s father to carry the luggage. When the child was found, he was found in a “bad state” and only miraculously survived.
Tarantulas
A pet is a personal matter, but two hundred of these spiders are quite another matter when found in a couple’s suitcase during a routine search. There were other insects found, all stored in small boxes. They were quarantined and determined to be clean and uninfected.
Tiger Cub
At first, the agent probably thought the cub was a toy. Turns out, it was an actual 2-month-old tiger. Found in a Bangkok airport, the cub was found sedated in a luggage surrounded by stuffed toys. It was located when the workers noticed a live animal during the X-ray screening.
Gernade Yielding Monster
This “monster” holding an inert grenade was discovered at Eagle County airport in Colorado. Grenades, inert or otherwise, are prohibited from both carry-on and checked bags.
Lipstick Shank
You’ve got to admit, it’s kind of cute. A little dagger hidden in one of the most trivial of items. Wonder what the lipstick name would be called? Maybe something like “Bloody Red”? It may have been suave enough for spy equipment, but it could not penetrate through security.
IED
A phony device, to be sure. Apparently, the passenger carrying this item was going to an explosives detection training exercise. It was inert, but knowing the status of the passenger, it shouldn't have happened. Six lanes were closed and the item was confiscated.
Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher
Why you would need a rocket launcher while flying 30,000ft in the air is a mystery, but this expended 84mm beast was still discovered in a checked bag at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Pennsylvania.
Suicide Vest
False alarm! False alarm! Fortunately, this was not part of a terror plot. All of the items were inert and the passenger was an explosives instructor traveling with his training aids.
Darth Vader Teddy Bear
The Darth Vader teddy bear showed the weapons after security ran it through the X-ray machine. TSA says its officers noticed the bear had been restitched on its back. After removing the stitches, the knives were found in its stuffing.
Swiss Army Phone Case
Who doesn’t have one of these bad boys? They protect your phone from falls, keep it clean … but that should be all. Not in this situation, apparently. The phone case could transform into a swiss army knife, an ingenious idea for the survivalists out there.
Replica Gernades
We all know that traveling with fluids over 3.4 ounces is not acceptable on airplanes, but what about replicas of explosives? That's a no, too.
Gun Belt Buckle
Now what we have here is a gun belt buckle. Not only is it illegal, it is a serious fashion no-no. The gun was not real but that is besides the point since the accessory imitates a firearm. Replicas are already outlawed due to their frightening appearance.
Arts and Crafts
On first look, it seems like a bunch of clay modeled onto a computer, colored and all. Aside from this already looking incredibly suspicious, there is a pistol buried underneath that mess of material. Turns out the concealment plan did not work.
Rice Wine
Sake, in other words, is quite a popular drink in Asia. Something less popular is finding reptiles in it, specifically a dead scorpion and snake. This concoction is alright to travel with if checked-in, but this potion exceeded the liquid amount and was confiscated.
Flogger
This object is purely mysterious. It’s a flogger with blades, but who are we to judge people’s preferences? Still, questions arise from such a toy, and what purposes it is used for. And since it is a weapon, it should be checked into luggage.
Pizza
Nothing to it, just an entire pizza in the box was scanned through security. Perhaps the passenger was feeling quite peckish and decided to come overprepared. Whatever the case, there was definitely enough pizza in the box for an entire row to enjoy.
Cannon Barrel
Plenty of cannonballs have been found during the screening process, and this was one of the first instances where an entire cannon barrel was discovered, to nobody’s surprise. The bigger question is: how heavy could the barrel have possibly been?
Slow Cooker
Although technically not illegal, it is a strange event. 10K in cash was found hidden in a slow cooker, none of which are illegal, but is bound to be interrogated. In the end, the passenger was allowed to fly with all their stuff.
Gold Bars
India is known to be the world’s largest purchaser of precious metal, so gold smuggling in this area is disguised as a “frequent flier upgrade”. Here, $1,250,000 in gold bars was left in the airplane bathroom. All that trouble for what? Nobody got arrested either.
Bladed Claw
I applaud the craftmanship in this very cool, yet dangerous finger accessory. For obvious reasons, it was not permitted on the flight.
Firearm Bong
This passenger wanted to fly high, that’s for sure. The agents want to know how stoned the passenger was when attempting to fly with a firearm bong in their carry-on bag. Security does not usually search for drugs, but are required to call the cops if they find any.
Chihuahua
Dogs and most animals are more than fine to take on planes. But not in luggage. This little guy was taken after being found in a checked luggage. The passenger reacted as though she had no idea the dog was there. A pretty obvious thing to miss, some would say.
Thor's Hammer
Spotted! In 2014, the Lord of Thunder himself was traveling through Vermont, equipped with his classic weapon. Unfortunately, he forgot to check in the hammer. It was made of wood, so maybe it was used as a practice hammer instead. Seriously, he should know better.
Garden Scissors
Some scissors are acceptable, and they have to fit within certain measurements to not be considered weapons and be confiscated. Tiny ones for nails, sure. Medium sized ones for emergencies, why not. But gigantic garden scissors? Think again.
Bear Repellent
Yes, bear repellent is a real thing. Would it really be that effective in the event of a bear attack, though? Like, would the person remember to use this, or would they be too scared to move? Anyways, because this had forbidden ingredients and had too much liquid, it was taken away.
Chainsaw
This gigantic piece of machinery was brought along in a passenger’s carry-on bag. Chainsaws can be flown with if they are in checked-in luggage and contain no fuel. In this case, none of these demands were satisfied, so the chainsaw was confiscated.
Throwing Knives
These terrifying blades were found in a carry-on bag at a Chicago airport. They can be flown with, but only in checked-in luggage. The person came so close to flying with his flying blades, but due to poor preparation, it did not happen.
Human Remains
A passenger was traveling home with some freshly purchased flower pots through the Fort Lauderdale International Airport when TSA officers unearthed human remains. The traveler played dumb but the airport quickly became a crime scene. Sucks to be traveling that day.
Propane
Considered highly flammable, these are not allowed to be flown under any circumstance. Somehow, three full propane tanks were located inside of a carry-on bag in Oakland. Maybe it was grill season?
Throwing Star
Another flying weapon. People seem to love the irony of flying with a flying object. In 2012, a passenger attempted to take this through security at a Los Angeles airport. Not on his person, but in the person’s carry-on luggage. It was a good attempt.
Bees
Aw, how sweet. This grandma wanted to give her grandkids a jar of bees as a gift. It deviates a little from the typical gifts of clothes, toys, or candy, but it’s the thought that counts. There was no policy on flying with insects, so she had to call her airline to proceed.