TSA's "best catches" of 2024 include vape in toothpaste and meth in crutches
Frequent flyers know what not to bring on a flight, but some travelers still come up with creative ways to bypass Transportation Security Administration officials.
The TSA released its annual list of "best catches" this week and the majority of the discoveries include strange ways people attempted to bring drugs and weapons on board planes. A growing number of Americans are bringing guns to the airport, CBS News previously reported, but not all of them are found inside a LEGO box or a stroller.
Here's the list of TSA's top 10 most unusual finds of 2024:
1. A gun was found in a stroller at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.
2. A replica IED attached to a walkie talkie was found at El Paso International Airport.
3. Two live snakes were found in a man's pants at Miami International Airport.
4. Methamphetamine was found hidden inside crutches at Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire.
5. A gun was found wrapped in tinfoil inside a teapot filled with shot glasses at Portland International Airport.
6. An e-cigarette was found inside a Colgate toothpaste tube at Chicago Midway International Airport.
7. A blade was found inside a laptop at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
8. A gun was hidden in a boot that was inside a LEGO box at Newark International Airport.
9. A knife was stuffed inside a shoe at Newport News-Williamsburg Airport in Virginia.
10. A bag of marijuana was found in a peanut butter jar at Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
TSA has not released figures for the total number of firearms it detected in 2024, but it said officials found 6,737 firearms in the previous year — the highest one-year total in TSA's history.
Travelers found with prohibited items may face civil penalties of up to $14,950 per violation per person, according to the agency.