A Pennsylvania man was arrested on Monday night after TSA agents found an explosive device in his checked luggage.
Mark Muffley, 40, was supposed to take an Allegiant flight from Pennsylvania to Florida on Monday.
TSA found a device with a “circular compound” that had two fuses and powder hidden in the lining of his checked bag.
The west side of the Pennsylvania airport’s main terminal was shut down after agents discovered the suspicious package on Monday morning.
Muffley was paged over the airport’s public intercom to report to the security desk but he fled the airport.
FBI and bomb technicians who responded to the scene confirmed the object “was indeed a live explosive device,”
Muffley was charged with “possession of an explosive in an airport and possessing, or attempting to place, or attempting to have placed an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.” according to ABC News.
ABC News reported:
An explosive device was found in a checked piece of luggage at Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday, according to a criminal complaint.
The passenger, Mark Muffley of Lansford, Pennsylvania, is now in FBI custody, officials said.
The device hidden in the bag’s lining was a circular compound, about 3 inches in diameter, that had two fuses and powder concealed in wax paper and plastic wrap, according to the criminal complaint.
The “powder is suspected to be a mixture of flash powder and the dark granulars that are used in commercial grade fireworks,” the complaint said. “The black powder and flash powder are susceptible to ignite from heat and friction and posed a significant risk to the aircraft and passengers.”
The bag also had “a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI outlets taped together with black tape,” the complaint said.
The device was detected during “routine screening,” when the suitcase triggered an alarm when it entered the baggage screening unit, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. While inspecting the baggage, a TSA officer “located an item inside the suitcase that appeared to be suspicious and was believed to possibly be a live explosive device,” the agency said.
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