Egyptian authorities were amazed Wednesday to have found handguns, swords and daggers in one U.S. passenger's luggage. The traveler was detained in Cairo upon his arrival from New York's JFK International Airport after his baggage was found to contain weapons and ammunition.
The passenger, Mohamed Ibrahim Marei, arrived on EgyptAir flight 986 with two handguns and 250 rounds of ammunition, hidden in metal boxes. Two swords, five daggers, and six knives were also discovered in a separate, secret compartment in his bag, authorities said.
An investigation was launched, but officials have already confirmed that the weapons cache had passed through JFK airport legally. According to a statement issued by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which oversees baggage security, “Transporting firearms within the U.S. in checked baggage is permitted if properly declared to the airline.
“Many other countries have different laws that address transportation and possession of firearms. We recommend passengers traveling internationally check with the authorities at their destination about their requirements.”
Marei, a naturalized citizen of Egyptian descent, is a university professor in the U.S. His baggage was checked because he looked “nervous,” according to a report in the New York Post. According to a source quoted by the newspaper, the TSA scans only for explosives, and not weapons, in checked baggage, since it is not possible for passengers to access their luggage during a flight.
An Israeli security official who asked not to be identified commented that it would be easy enough for a terrorist to carry out an attack at any airport, once he had gained access to the weapons packed in his bag. “The baggage areas, with planeloads of people crowding around the carousels, are a perfect target for terrorists,” the source said.