CATSA's Top 10 Good Catches of 2011

OTTAWA, March 22, 2012 /CNW/ - Screening Officers across the country are working hard every day to ensure the security of the travelling public. While performing their task in 2011, they uncovered more than 500,000 items that posed a threat to air security ranging from everyday items like pocket knives and scissors to illegal contraband and eyebrow-raising oddities. The following are CATSA's Top 10 Good Catches for the past year:

1. Two kilos of marijuana and 200 grams of cocaine were found concealed in a passenger's knee brace at Toronto Pearson.
2. At Calgary International, two bear bangers and a bear banger launcher were found in a passenger's carry-on baggage.
3. Screening Officers at Sandspit Airport in British Columbia were applauded by the RCMP for passing along information about passengers smuggling illegally acquired bear paws.
4. In Toronto, someone thought it would be a good idea to wrap a 9mm replica handgun in aluminum cans and hide it in a soft drink case in their checked bag.
5. A Screening Officer found a live bee in a plastic container strapped to a passenger's knee at Toronto Pearson.
6. At Montréal-Trudeau Airport, a passenger was found with a grenade in his bag. Even worse - he couldn't remember if it was live or inert. Enter the bomb squad, that confirmed the grenade was inert.
7. When one passenger in Quebec was found with a camping burner in her carry-on bag, she became unruly and was denied boarding.
8. At Calgary International, a passenger was arrested after a 9mm Smith and Wesson and two full gun clips were found in his carry-on.
9. Just a week later, an Edmonton passenger was found with an historical handgun. He claimed to be unaware it was in his bag, having not used it for 15 years.
10. A passenger was arrested in Vancouver after opium was discovered hidden inside his printer.

In addition to being a security risk, these findings and the thousands of others generated extra screening and sometimes even police intervention that delayed the screening process. CATSA wishes to remind air travellers to ensure that their carry-on bags are free of oversized liquids, gels and aerosols and other restricted items such as knives and scissors. Passengers can log on to www.catsa.gc.ca or m.catsa.gc.ca (mobile site) for more tips and tools

For more information:
www.catsa.gc.ca
m.catsa.gc.ca (mobile site)

Mathieu Larocque
CATSA
613-998-4527