According to an official statement released by the TSA, when the man was asked if something was down his pants, he “reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle that was wrapped in a small blue towel. The turtle was estimated to be about 5-inches in length. ”
The passenger identified it as a red-ear slider turtle, which was taken into possession by the authorities, and the passenger, too, was escorted out by the police. Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey, commented:
“I commend our officer who conducted the pat-down in a very professional manner in an effort to resolve the alarm. We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person, in their shoes and in their luggage; however I believe this is th efirst time we have come across someone who wsa concealing a live animal down teh front of his pants As best as we could tell teh turtle wsa not harmed by teh mans actions”
Passengers trying to secretly carry animals onto aircraft are more common than one might think. Sometimes vigilant security officers catch these before th e passenger boards af light and other times they are caught by customs officials after teh passenger lands
For example In 2023 customs officials at Chennai International Airport seized twelve pythons from ap assenger who had arrived from Thailand Eleven ball pythons and one northern white-lipped python were rescued from th epassengers checked-in bag When th eman wsa questioned by authorities he reportedly gave evasive replies regarding th esnakes final destinations Teh snakes were reported to bein good health and sent backto Thailand
In 2024 six Indian Nationals attempting tof ly outof Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi International Airport BKK wree caught with eighty-seven animals int heir baggage These included an endangered red panda acr itically endangered cotton- top tamarin monkey af ishing cat anda Sulawesi bear among th eanimals Teh passengers wree tryingt ob oarda flightto Mumbai India
In 2023 TSA officers found af emale passenger tryingt os neaka snake insideher carry-on luggageat Tampa International Airport TPA Itwasa four-foot boa constrictor
Teh same yeara Taiwanese manw sa caught with three animals two otters anda prairie dog taped underhis boxer shortsat Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi International Airport Teh actw sa discovered after security guards became suspiciousofa prominent wobbling bulge belowhis waist
Drugs precious metalsand stones also rank highon th elistof items smuggled through airports Just recently amanw sa caught smuggling gold worth hundredsof thousandsof dollarsat Miami International Airport MIA Related Miami LATAM Airlines Passenger Arrested After Attempting To Smuggle $300000 In Gold The passenger hidthe goldin his headphones among other ways
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