Strange X-Ray Scan Leads TSA Officers to Passengers' Illegal Stash
At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, TSA officers uncovered a bizarre smuggling attempt, finding fentanyl, meth and ketamine hidden inside a modified computer.
An unusual X-ray scan prompts airport screeners to hide a pile inside a computer
Aviation expert Gary Leff talks about how TSA officers discovered fentanyl and methamphetamine hidden in a Mac Mini computer during a recent airport screening.
A passenger's journey through airport security lines took an unexpected turn after TSA officers noticed something unusual hidden in a piece of computer equipment.
The unidentified passenger was going through security at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona when a TSA officer on an X-ray machine spotted unusual wiring and debris on an Apple Mac mini desktop computer.
A closer inspection revealed suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine and ketamine hidden in the tampered computer, the TSA said in an Oct. 9 release.
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Senior TSA officer Logan Sturtz made the initial discovery while checking a passenger's carry-on bag. At first, he suspected the unusual image might be part of an internal TSA test.
"At first I thought it might be a test being run by one of the different levels of testing teams at TSA," Sturtz said. "When I found out it was drugs, I was very surprised."
TSA officers in Phoenix found suspected illegal drugs wrapped in plastic, shown above. The materials were hidden inside an Apple Mac mini desktop computer at a checkpoint. (TSA PHX)
TSA officer Isaiah Martinez Jr. then searched the shipment and consulted Sturtz about the suspicious computer.
"I was in shock, I realized something was wrong and immediately notified a supervisor," Martinez said.
The officers' concern grew as they examined the computer more closely.
According to the TSA, the second screening revealed a lump under a hidden area and additional signs of tampering.
TSA officers found suspected illegal narcotics hidden in a tampered-with Apple Mac Mini at PHX, shown at left — which Officer Isaiah Martinez Jr., pictured at right, searched during a hand search. (TSA PHX)
An explosives expert then examined the computer and discovered plastic-wrapped materials inside, including a crystalline substance and an orange pill.
"I stopped the whole process at that point," said TSA explosives specialist Robert Rosas-Perez II.
The TSA said law enforcement officers were called to the checkpoint, where initial field tests revealed the suspected substances to be fentanyl, methamphetamine and ketamine.
Phoenix police arrested the passenger, whose identity was not disclosed in the agency's account.
Officers called law enforcement to the checkpoint, where initial field tests revealed the suspected substances to be fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ketamine. (iStock)
"The manner in which this was concealed was unusual," said Emily Price, a supervising TSA officer.
Despite the unusual hiding place, Perez said attempts to bring illegal or prohibited items through airport security may happen more often than travelers realize.
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"It's probably not as unusual as people think," he said.
Every day travelers try to bring illegal, illicit, prohibited or suspected illegal items through security checkpoints.
"It's probably not as unusual as the public thinks."
The TSA noted that its primary responsibility at checkpoints is to detect weapons, explosives and other aviation threats, rather than drug enforcement.
When officers come across suspected illegal drugs during screening, they notify law enforcement.
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