A checked bag flagged for an Xbox console led Transportation Security Administration officers at LaGuardia Airport to a stash of fraudulent driver’s licenses, resulting in a passenger’s arrest this month, the TSA said.
The bag set off an alarm during screening because of the gaming system inside. TSA Officer Ashley Leo, who was working the on-screen resolution area, sent the bag to the checked baggage resolution area, where Supervisory Transportation Security Officer Christopher Ramos was stationed, according to the TSA.
While searching the bag, Ramos found a plastic bag containing several fake IDs next to the Xbox that had triggered the alarm.
“I noticed various driver’s licenses with different dates of birth and different class types, but all with the same photograph,” Ramos said in a statement.
Ramos said he was following standard screening procedures when he spotted the discrepancy.
“I was focused on following our screening procedures and paying close attention to anything that appeared unusual,” he said. “When I discovered the fraudulent IDs, I knew it was important to report the situation through the proper channels.”
TSA management, airport officials and Port Authority police were called in, and authorities confirmed the licenses were fraudulent. The passenger was arrested shortly before he was due to board his flight.
TSA LaGuardia Federal Security Director John Essig credited Ramos’s attention to procedure for the outcome.
“STSO Christopher Ramos’ strict adherence to standard operating procedures, diligence and situational awareness prevented the fraudulent IDs from entering the airport’s secure area,” Essig said. “Identifying fraudulent IDs is an important part of TSA’s layered security approach. It helps ensure that people entering secure areas of the airport are who they claim to be and supports the safety of the traveling public.”
The find is one of several unusual discoveries reported recently by TSA officers nationwide, including a pocketknife hidden inside a toothpaste tube at Dallas Love Field Airport and a double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat-shaped flashlight at Tampa International Airport.
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