A routine security check at Watertown International Airport (ART) in upstate New York recently led to the discovery of a spent smoke grenade hidden within an aerosol container inside a traveler's carry-on luggage.
The unusual find was made by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, according to a recent agency report issued on September 24.
Vigilance at the X-ray Machine
During the inspection process, officers identified what appeared to be a spent M18 smoke grenade. Operating the X-ray machine at the time, TSA Officer Yessenia Alvarez reportedly felt uneasy about the appearance of an aerosol container. Alvarez stated, “I didn’t like how the item appeared.”
She then sought assistance from Lead TSA Officer Melissa Graffam, explaining, “I called over Lead TSA Officer Melissa Graffam and told her I did not have a good feeling about it.” Alvarez added that she was “very stunned when I saw the item on the screen,” noting she had “seen these types of items in training scenarios.”
Graffam also found the item's appearance on the X-ray screen to be suspicious, describing it as
