Woman taped a knife inside her carry-on and thought TSA wouldn't notice. Then a 22-year veteran asked one question — and she gave it all away
When the officers asked her the reasoning behind carrying a knife, she snitched on herself and blurted out two bizarre reasons
A traveler attempted to hide a meticulously concealed knife in her carry-on bag while boarding a flight at Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional Airport (MSN). It wasn’t until an X-ray scan prompted a 22-year veteran to call their senior, who instantly detected the strange shape materializing in the carry-on bag’s bottom pocket. They confiscated the knife and asked the woman the reason for bringing it. In response, the woman confessed her mistake and snitched on herself, according to a September 14, 2026, report by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Suspicious scan
TSA Officer Callie Meis has been working with the agency for the past 22 years. While monitoring the X-ray scans that day, they immediately identified the image of a possible knife and called for a bag check. Meis informed the Property Search Manager Jim Kohn that she was sure that the mysterious item poking out of the purse was a knife. “I could tell it was positioned in the bottom of the bag, so when Officer Kohn came back and told me it was artfully concealed, it made sense due to its location. However, the honesty of the woman’s answers shocked me the most,” Meis described.
Under sharp surveillance
Kohn further gave a call to the Supervisory TSA Officer Andrew Kastan to provide his sound judgment on the matter. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office and TSA Manager Annie Lu also joined the scene. When Kastan asked the passenger her reasoning behind hiding the knife in such a bizarre position, he got the answer none of the officers might have expected. “I was attempting to conceal this knife from TSA,” the woman explained, adding that she was heading for a camping trip. Additionally, she said she didn’t want to shell out $100 for the checked baggage fee.
Kohn said this situation is unique because most often, his team has found knives falling through holes in purses, bag liners, or jacket pockets. This passenger, however, admitted to concealing the cutlery item with tape inside the purse.
When passengers carry prohibited goods
According to the agency’s website, knives are only allowed in checked bags, not in carry-on bags, and even then they must be “sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.” The final decision of whether an item will be allowed through the checkpoint remains with the TSA officer. At bigger airports, as much as 2,000 pounds of prohibited items are discovered every month, per TSA, with knives topping the list. Officers urge passengers to check the “What Can I Bring?” page before packing their luggage.
Meanwhile, Kastan warned travelers to expect that TSA will catch the prohibited items even when hidden in the most difficult places. “For whatever reason you may be traveling, don’t jeopardize your income or freedom just to save an item like this $5 knife,” he said. The passenger was eventually cleared for travel after she surrendered the knife.
Looking ahead, TSA Wisconsin Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay sang praises for his team: “Officer Meis’ sharp eye on the X-ray, Officer Kohn’s thorough bag search, and STSO Kasten’s sound judgment ensured the item was identified, resolved appropriately, and kept off the plane. Travelers should pack responsibly, check TSA’s rules before coming to the airport, and never attempt to conceal prohibited items.”
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