You may not be a big fan of the Transportation Security Administration, but you’ll get a huge kick out of its Instagram. The page — with a cool 445,000 follower base — showcases some of the craziest items TSA agents have discovered inside of passenger luggage.
Last year, TSA screened over 708 million passengers, 1.6 billion carry-ons, and 432 million checked bags, according to TSA. An average of seven firearms per day — 83% of which were loaded — were discovered inside of carry-on luggage across 236 airports. In addition to knives and guns, passengers attempted to carry on items such as tomahawks, mallets, and explosives.
You’d think that fear of missing a flight — or common sense — would deter someone from bringing illegal items past airport security. Nonetheless, many brave souls still shamelessly endeavor. Here are 10 of the craziest things passengers have attempted to bring onto planes.
1. This little baby was discovered in someone’s carry-on in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tomahawks are allowed inside of checked baggage, but not inside of carry-ons.
2. Stay classy, Baltimore. Although these gun shoes and bullet wristbands aren’t actual weapons, you still can’t bring them onto an airplane.
3. In Sonoma County, California, someone tried to hide an 8.5-inch knife in an enchilada. This Mexican delight didn’t make it past TSA agents, however.
4. This massive, Paul Bunyan-worthy mallet is impressive. A Burlington, Vermont, traveler fit this bludgeon into their bag; however, it was not allowed on the plane.
5. Although this artillery shell discovered in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, was inert, it could have caused massive panic and chaos on a flight.
6. In Boston, someone tried to carry on a training landmine. This isn’t Halo, guy.
7. Although it only looks like a little coconut and can’t do much damage without a cannon, TSA agents in Lexington, Kentucky, confiscated this cannonball.
8. Even without the attachments, this FN 5.7 28mm runs about $1400. It’s impossible to know what the hell this Miami passenger (cough, assassin) was thinking with respect to anything. at. all.
9. Usually what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… but this Las Vegas, Nevada passenger tried to bring a live smoke grenade onto an airplane.
10. Helen(a) of Troy? In Helena, Montana, a passenger attempted to sneak fireworks into their carry-on with this tiny ceramic Trojan horse.