TSA officer discovers five stolen cannonballs hidden away in traveler's suitcase
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer was frightened he was holding a 'live explosive' after uncovering five stolen cannonballs at airport security.
There's no doubt that TSA officers find some rather shocking items at security screening, but perhaps none more so than the cannonballs found at Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama earlier this month.
TSA officers spotted the large items in a passenger's luggage during an X-ray screening on July 18, with airport staff initially unsure as to what the items were.
Officers opened the suitcase and found five round-shaped items wrapped individually in paper towels.
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Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree quickly asked for help as he was initially unsure on what he had uncovered in the traveler's baggage.
"My first thought was, 'I couldn't see a fuse and need to get some help quick,'" he said. "I couldn't see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive."
What the TSA officer had actually found was five small cannonballs, which had been stolen from the nearby Fort Morgan.
The cannonballs were different sizes, with Dupree explaining that the larger ones weighed about the same as a small shot-put and were roughly the same size as grapefruits.
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Dupree added in a statement.
"I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash, who was working on shift with Dupree, said he agreed with his colleague that they'd found 'a potentially dangerous item'.
"I then instructed Justin to maintain control of the bag until I made the proper notifications," Cash said in a statement.
The region’s TSA explosives specialist and assistant federal security director-law enforcement were informed, while local police were also notified in case a bomb squad was required.
Thankfully, it was revealed that the cannonballs didn't contain any explosive material or active components, though as you'd probably expect, they still weren't permitted on the plane.
Cash explained: "Technically, they were artillery munitions and considered prohibited items. With assistance from the [explosives expert] and law enforcement and because we were unable to initially determine they were inert, they could have been dangerous to the aircraft."
Police say the passenger who's bag the cannonballs were found in was completely unaware they were in her luggage.
Baldwin County Sheriff's Office explained that a juvenile placed the cannonballs in the woman's suitcase after taking them from a storage area in Fort Morgan.
The cannonballs have since been returned, while Fort Morgan decided against pursuing charges against the juvenile.
TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse said: "I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash and TSA Alabama along with our tremendous partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department.
"Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays and safety concerns."
Callum Jones