13 knives found in BWI passenger's luggage

Weapons detected by security officers at checkpoint

A Transportation Security Administration officer discovered 13 knives in the carry-on luggage of a passenger attempting to board a flight at BWI Marshall Airport last week, leading to the man's arrest.

TSA spokesman Kawika Riley said the passenger attempted to pass through a checkpoint at BWI's Pier D the afternoon of July 7 when an officer operating an X-ray machine noticed something suspicious. Riley said a luggage search found 13 knives of differing shapes and sizes. They included "a lot" of spring-operated knives and a butterfly knife, the spokesman said.

The passenger was taken into custody by Maryland Transportation Authority Police on state charges, Riley said. A police spokesman did not have information available about the identity of the passenger or the exact charges Wednesday evening.

Nationwide, the TSA typically detects two guns per day, as well as assorted other weapons, according to the agency.

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An earlier version of this article misstated the number of weapons detected by the TSA nationwide.