Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Virginia man at a Richmond International Airport security checkpoint after finding a double-bladed knife concealed in the inner workings of a laptop computer.
A TSA officer staffing the checkpoint X-ray Friday noticed a knife inside the Williamsburg man’s carry-on bag and searched its contents but couldn't find it until each item in the carry-on was sent through the X-ray machine individually, according to the TSA. The machine showed the knife was inside the laptop and required closer inspection.
After disassembling the laptop, the agent found a double-edged knife concealed in the guts of the computer, the TSA said.
“This was a superb job on the part of our officers to first identify the threat and then work in partnership with the Capital Region Airport Commission Police to obtain tools that were necessary to disassemble the laptop to reveal the knife,” the airport's TSA federal security director, Robin “Chuck” Burke, said in a news release.
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The man initially claimed he didn't know there was a knife inside his laptop, but after it was revealed, he confirmed the knife was his, according to the TSA.
“Detecting artfully concealed weapons points to the training and skill of our officers who are focused on their mission to ensure that prohibited items that could cause harm are not carried onto flights,” Burke said. “The traveler now faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty.”
