Every day, officers with the Transportation Security Administration slide baggage via scanners anticipating toothpaste and tangled headphones. Sometimes that is all they see, however too usually, they’re fallacious.
From the weird to the borderline baffling, the items flagged at airport security usually say more about human habits and odd circumstances than any passport ever might. You would not imagine the items passengers try to sneak onto flights every day.
TSA is used to discovering items that are not allowed, just like the loaded gun in a passenger’s carry-on at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport final 12 months. But they are not at all times used to the best way people attempt to conceal the items.
The company has now shared a Top 10 record of the most unusual items detected at U.S. airport security checkpoints in 2025—and you would be shocked at what took the primary spot.
The 10 most unusual items detected at airport security checkpoints in 2025, in accordance to TSA
10. Bullets and knives in tinfoil, Ohio’s Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
9. Firearm in a golf bag, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
8. Bullets in Nesquik, Miami International Airport (MIA)
7. Knife in a automobile seat, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
6. Pills in a shampoo bottle, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
5. Knife in a knee brace, Illinois’ Quad Cities International Airport (MLI)
4. Drugs in sneakers, Hawaii’s Kona International Airport (KOA)
3. Razor blades in garments, Denver International Airport (DEN)
2. Turtles in pants and bra, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Miami International Airport (MIA)
1. Explosive replicas at Boise Airport (BOI)
Why was a passenger touring with a reproduction of an explosive?
Unexpectedly, a reproduction pipe bomb found in a passenger’s checked bag at Boise Airport (BOI) topped the record.
The puzzling incident occurred in May 2025, when a checked bag at BOI was referred for extra officer screening after an alarm sounded.
The explosives skilled decided the items had been replicas and never a risk. The passenger defined that the items had been really coaching aids.
“Realistic replicas of explosives are not allowed in checked or carry-on bags,” TSA’s Federal Security Director for Idaho, James Spies, mentioned.
“Our expertly trained officers take no risks when they screen a bag and see an image that could be an explosive. We’re grateful that in this case, the items were not intended to harm anyone.”
What am I allowed to convey via TSA?
Travelers unclear about particular items can use the “What Can I Bring” software on TSA.gov.
The group additionally has a free MyTSA app, or they will textual content “Travel” to AskTSA (275872) or message @AskTSA on X or Facebook Messenger.
