Traveler at NYC's LaGuardia airport had bullets inside gum container, TSA says

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A New York City airport traveler surprised Tranportation Security Administration officers with ammunition that was found stored inside a chewing gum container.

Thirteen bullets were stashed away in a blue Mentos gum bottle, which appears to be around the size of an adult human hand. The bullets were detected at a security checkpoint at LaGuardia airport last Thursday, according to a news release.

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The man who was found to be carrying the gum container is said to be from the Bronx and was ticketed to fly to Miami.

Thirteen bullets were found in a gum container at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. (Transportation Security Administration)

Authorities said he carried the container in a carry-on duffle bag. There was second container found that held only gum while the other held both the ammunition and gum pieces.

The checkpoint’s X-ray machine helped TSA officers spot the bullets inside the traveler’s bag.

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Officers at the scene notified police from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. The law enforcement agency reportedly confiscated the ammunition and cited the man on a "local charge"

An unidentified man from the Bronx said he unknowingly carried the ammunition in the carry-on bag he was using. (Transportation Security Administration)

Port Authority officials did not immediately provide arrest details to Fox News upon request.

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However, according to the TSA’s release, the traveler claimed he was unaware he was carrying the gum containers and that the bag belonged to his son.

Ammunition is prohibited from carry-on baggage but can be packed away in checked baggage, according to TSA travel guidelines.

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Bullets cannot be packed in carry-on bags, according to the TSA. (Transportation Security Administration)

Moreover, travelers must store their ammunition in a hard-sided and lockable case that is designed to hold it. It also needs to be declared to airlines upon check-in.

Violations of these packing safety requirements for ammunition can be subject to a civil penalty or fine that range between hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the severity, according to the TSA’s Civil Enforcement webpage.

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For loaded firearms, the criminal referral is between $1,370 and $2,730.