One of TSA’s Top 10 ‘most unusual’ items was caught at CLT airport. What was it?

There is a long list of what you can and can’t pack in your luggage when flying, but one of the most bizarre items discovered at airports across the country was found in Charlotte.

The Transportation Security Administration recently revealed the Top 10 “most unusual items’‘ detected at airport security checkpoints in 2023.

From a knife hidden in a bread loaf to marijuana in a diaper, a lot of prohibited items were found by agents last year, including a 35mm projectile at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

A TSA spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer it was detected in a passenger’s checked bag on July 14. Explosive specialists, who confirmed it was inert, were then brought in to help dispose of it.

Here is the full list of of the top unusual items discovered by TSA at different airport security checkpoints in 2023:

1. Bomb in an energy drink at Tulsa International Airport

2. Marijuana hidden inside a diaper at LaGuardia Airport

3. Bomb CO2 cartridge at Sacramento International Airport

4. Fully loaded firearm at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

5. Knife hidden in prosthetic foot at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

6. Projectile at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

7. Methamphetamine hidden inside a container of crab boil seasoning powder at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

8. Knife hidden inside a loaf of bread at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

9. Replica rockets at Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport

10. Naruto throwing knives at Boston Logan International Airport

According to TSA, carrying prohibited items could cause delays for travelers, in addition to potential fines and charges, depending on the circumstances.

You can find more information about what items can and cannot be packed in luggage online at www.tsa.gov.

This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "One of TSA’s Top 10 ‘most unusual’ items was caught at CLT airport. What was it?."

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription