Transportation Security Administration officials were busy last year uncovering several prohibited items in travelers’ luggage, including firearms hidden in raw chicken and drug-filled hair ties.
The agency created a quirky social media video showcasing its top 10 wildest catches of the year, proving that being a TSA agent can be a little more entertaining than simply rushing travelers through security.
From firearms hidden in game consoles and peanut butter jars to dormant grenades, here are the most scandalous finds of 2022.
TSA agents have spoken about the top 10 most outrageous catches of 2022
BREAKING: Find out which breathtaking discoveries made it into our “Top 10 Catches of 2022”! Call our TSA officers across the country to protect the traveling public.
We have to ask… What’s your favorite catch? #TSATop10 pic.twitter.com/oxZT1GM8D5
— TSA (@TSA) December 30, 2022
Number ten: dirty money crunches
TSA agents at El Paso International Airport were alarmed when they noticed a traveler wearing disoriented crunches.
Officials were confused when they took apart the crunches and noticed money inside, especially since it’s not illegal to carry money, according to The Washington Post.
In addition to the hidden cash, agents determined the crunches were done.
“It’s hard to imagine anyone thinking this idea doesn’t stink,” a male voiceover said in the video.
TSA agents at El Paso International Airport found money hidden in smelly crunches
Number Nine: Inactive grenade
Shockingly inactive hand grenades are often seized by security agents. One of the latest was found on a traveler at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
Rather than going through airport security with a gun, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein recommends giving it to an agent or leaving it behind.
Hand grenades are frequently recovered by security officers, most recently from a traveler at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
Number eight: drovers hidden in a guitar case
Officials at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia got a surprise when they found cattle prods in a guitar case.
While tools up to 7 inches are prohibited in a carry-on bag, the traveler could have elected to check the bag without issue.
“This shocking device wasn’t music to our ears,” one man joked in the video.
Officials at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia got a surprise when they found cattle prods in a guitar case
Number Seven: Gun hidden in a Play Station
A sneaky traveler at Atlanta airport tried to hide a gun in a Playstation. The agents had to disassemble the game console to get to the gun.
Companies are not allowed to board the aircraft unless the passenger checks their baggage.
“You don’t want to play those games at the airport,” the man said.
A sneaky traveler at Atlanta airport tried to hide a gun in a Playstation
Number Six: Drug-filled hair ties
There are many clever ways that TSA agents have caught drug smugglers, but one of the latest innovative methods is hair bands.
Agents at the Boise Airport in Idaho uncovered clear bags of a traveler’s white powder and pills.
The passenger never made it onto the plane and was handed over to police instead, according to The Post.
There are many clever ways that TSA agents have caught drug smugglers, but one of the latest innovative methods is hair bands
Agents at the Boise Airport in Idaho uncovered clear bags of a traveler’s white powder and pills
Number five: knife hidden in a laptop
The traveler carrying the laptop hidden with the gun was attempting to get it through security at Richmond International Airport in Virginia when agents flagged it
After the TSA security detector flashed a second time, agents began examining the laptop closely and eventually found the knife inside.
“This may be cutting-edge technology, but it won’t fly with us,” said the man in the video.
After the TSA security detector at Richmond International Airport in Virginia went off for the second time, agents began examining the laptop closely and eventually found the knife inside
Number four: pistol hidden in an arm sling
Firearms appeared to be a popular trend for smugglers last year, with another memorable traveler at New York’s Greater Rochester International Airport trying to hide one in his arm sling.
Agents told the man to remove the noose when he went through the metal detectors and their X-ray screen showed something was wrong.
When agents found the gun, he simply told them he forgot he put it in there, according to the Post.
Agents at New York’s Greater Rochester International Airport asked the man to remove the sling when he went through the metal detectors and their X-ray screen showed something was wrong
Number Three: Gun covered in peanut butter
Smugglers were thinking outside the box when it came to firearms, but it seemed TSA agents were noticing the red flags.
Another firearm seizure at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport showed partially empty peanut butter bottles being opened with a gun and ammunition.
“Here’s a safe fire for peanut butter and jail time,” the man joked in the video.
Another firearm seizure at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport showed partially empty peanut butter bottles being opened with a gun and ammunition
Number two: gun in a raw chicken
Just when TSA agents think they’ve seen it all, a traveler attempted to smuggle a gun onto a plane hidden in a whole raw chicken while at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
The smuggler was smart enough to try to sneak the manipulated bird over the Thanksgiving holiday, but the agents knew something was wrong the moment they saw the chicken go through the X-ray machine.
“We hate to tell you here, but sticking a gun in your vacation bird for travel is just a pastime,” TSA wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
A traveler attempted to smuggle a gun hidden inside a whole raw chicken onto a plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida
Number one: fentanyl hidden in generic candy wrappers
Concealing drugs in candy is a popular trend among drug dealers who target their items at children, and one traveler at the Los Angeles airport thought he might get away with it.
Weeks before Halloween, a traveler tried to smuggle 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills in candy packages like Skittles and SweetTarts.
Apparently the smugglers didn’t get far before the drugs were confiscated.
Weeks before Halloween, a traveler attempted to smuggle 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills in candy wrappers like Skittles and SweetTarts while at LAX