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A New Jersey man was arrested this week after trying to sneak a gun belt buckle through airport security in Newark, authorities said.
The Ridgefield Park man was stopped Friday while trying to enter the airport in Terminal C, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a release. The gun was in a zippered case in his backpack and initially looked like a belt buckle, the agency said.
But the gun on the belt buckle was a functioning gun that could be taken out of the frame and used, officials said. The man told TSA agents that he had just forgotten that the gun was put away.
TSA has not identified the man.
Claiming to forget you have a gun with you is unforgivable, said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. If you own a weapon, you should know where it is at all times. Each of these individuals now faces a hefty federal financial fine that could cost them thousands of dollars.
The Ridgefield Park man wasn’t the only traveler to claim they forgot they picked up a gun at the Newark airport. On June 3, a Pennsylvania man attempted to bring a gun through an airport checkpoint, also telling officials he forgot it was packed.
Five weapons were seized at Newark Liberty International Airport on June 12, officials said. Last year, 11 firearms were seized, although airport traffic was severely strained by the pandemic.
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Katie Kausch can be reached at: [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send us a tip here.
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