TSA finds gun parts hidden in peanut butter jars at JFK Airport

A traveler at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International airport got into a sticky situation — literally. Parts of a disassembled .22 semiautomatic handgun were found hidden in two jars of peanut butter in a traveler’s checked luggage.

A Rhode Island man was arrested last week after TSA agents discovered parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun disguised within two jars of peanut butter in his luggage, according to a news release from the TSA.

The agency said a checked bag containing the peanut butter jars triggered an alarm in an X-ray unit at JFK airport on December 22. Closer inspection revealed the gun parts, wrapped in plastic and “jammed” into two jars of what appear to be Jif brand peanut butter. The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets, according to the TSA.

“The gun parts were artfully concealed in two smooth creamy jars of peanut butter, but there was certainly nothing smooth about the way the man went about trying to smuggle his gun,” said John Essig, TSA’s federal security director for JFK Airport, in the release. “Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission — especially during the busy holiday travel period.”

Port Authority Police confiscated the handgun parts and arrested the man, according to the TSA.

Travelers planning to bring firearms onto a plane must have the proper permits, declare their weapons, and pack them according to TSA guidelines. The civil penalty for attempting to bring undeclared weapons onto a flight can be as high as $15,000. cnn.com