Grenade-Shaped Lighter Leads To MIA Concourse Shutdown
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Concourse D at Miami International Airport is re-open and fully operational after being shut down for a short time Thursday morning for the investigation of a suspicious item.
According to Miami-Dade police, a passenger traveling from Boston to Haiti with a layover in Miami was passing through Concourse D's checkpoint 3 area, when a TSA inspector detected a small item in his luggage that had the appearance of a grenade.
"I asked what the problem was and they refused to tell me," said the passenger who didn't give his name.
Investigators determined the item was just a cigarette lighter with the outside covering of a small grenade.
While the novelty lighter did not make it through security here in Miami, it apparently did make it through the security check point in Boston.
However, the man said it was all an honest mistake.
"It's a lighter that I had for everlasting years and I came from Boston with it and I wasn't stopped and I forgot the lighter was in there," he explained.
The man apologized for the error but mid apology, he was interrupted by Miami-Dade police and temporarily detained and questioned. He was later released but his grenade shaped novelty lighter was confiscated.
Officials at the airport want to remind travelers not to travel with novelty items that look like weapons.
"It isn't illegal to purchase these type of novelty items. They sell them out there, but they are just not compatible to airport screening," said MIA's Lauren Stover.
In the meantime, CBS4 News has reached out to TSA officials to find out how the passenger with the novelty lighter shaped like an explosive was able to get through security in Boston but they haven't responded yet.
