The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it had a “sticky situation” Thursday after they said a guns was found in jars of peanut butter.
A checked bag at John F. Kennedy International Airport set off an alarm, which prompted a TSA officer to open the bag. Inside, TSA said the officer found the jars of peanut butter with “parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun artfully concealed inside.”
“The .22 caliber gun parts were wrapped in plastic and had been jammed into the middle of two plastic jars of peanut butter,” TSA said in a statement. “The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets.”
The items were confiscated and Rhode Island man was arrested, the statement read. His name was not released publicly.
“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. “Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission — especially during the busy holiday travel period.”
Airport passengers are allowed to bring guns “if they have a proper permit and the gun is properly packed,” TSA said.
Firearms and firearm parts must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared, TSA said.
