Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – A passenger at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City found himself in a difficult situation.
A Rhode Island man was arrested last week after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents discovered parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun inside two containers of peanut butter in his luggage, according to a statement from the agency.
The department reported that an already scanned bag containing jars of peanut butter sounded an alarm at JFK’s X-ray scanning unit on December 22, 2022.
A closer examination revealed the parts of the gun, wrapped in plastic in what appeared to be two Jif peanut butter jars.
The barrel of the gun was full of bullets, according to the TSA.
In the statement, John F. Kennedy’s director of federal security for the administration at JFK, John Essig, said: “The gun parts were cleverly concealed in two packages of smooth peanut butter, but there was certainly nothing smooth about the manner in which the man tried to smuggle his gun.”
“Our officers are brilliant at their jobs and focused on their mission, especially during the busy holiday travel period,” Essig said.
According to the department, police from port authorities confiscated the gun parts and arrested the man.
Passengers planning to bring firearms on board an aircraft must obtain the appropriate permits, declare their presence, and store them in accordance with TSA guidelines.
The civil penalty for attempting to bring unauthorized weapons onto a flight can be up to $15,000.
