Travel
Couple Caught With Knife Hidden in Toothpaste Blames Son, Tell TSA It Was His Idea
A toothpaste tube in a couple’s carry-on drew a suspicious second look from TSA officers at Dallas Love Field, and what they found inside was startling — a concealed pocketknife.
People reported on Thursday, September 24, that the discovery happened at Dallas Love Field Airport.
In an official press release, the TSA revealed that Officer Jazmine Kramer first spotted what looked like a metal object near a toiletry bag while screening the couple’s carry-on.
Kramer said intentional attempts to conceal prohibited items are unusual: “Usually when people have prohibited items in their bags, it’s by accident. It’s not normally because they intentionally put something there thinking it will make it through.”
Security Training Instructor Wade Brown Jr. then searched the bag but initially found nothing suspicious.
Brown ran the bag through the X-ray machine again before taking a closer look at the toiletries. He eventually found a toothpaste tube that appeared to have been opened and taped back together, according toTSA.
Inside was a pocketknife.
“I decided to run the property through the X-ray again to confirm its location. During the second review, I carefully examined the image to get a clearer view of the area of concern,” Brown said in the release.
The married travelers reportedly told officers that their son had suggested hiding the knife.
“I was super surprised when they both said that,” Brown said. “This was the first time at DAL I had ever seen someone intentionally hide an item inside something else in an attempt to get it through security.”
The couple voluntarily surrendered the knife and were permitted to continue to their flight, TSA said.
According to the official site, TSA rules prohibit pocketknives in carry-on luggage. Knives may generally be transported in checked baggage when properly secured.
The site notes that travelers who try to bring prohibited items through a checkpoint can also face civil penalties.
