An EgyptAir passenger flew from Kennedy Airport to Cairo with a mini-arsenal of two pistols, 250 rounds of ammo, two swords and 11 daggers in his checked bags — right under the noses of JFK security monitors.
Mohamed Ibrahim Khalf, whose age and address were not given, was arrested after he arrived in Cairo yesterday, Egyptian media said. Khalf was identified as a botany professor at a US college.
Khalf was detained after his weapons cache was discovered during a routine inspection at the Cairo airport, authorities said.
It was unclear what Egyptian laws he’s accused of violating. But he failed to declare the weapons to EgyptAir, the Transportation Security Administration reported.
His weapons cache would have been allowed under US law, so long as it was in his checked luggage and properly declared to the airline, the TSA said.
EgyptAir’s rules allowed him to carry two pistols and 10 pounds of ammo in checked baggage, so long as he declared them. US airlines have similar rules, and the TSA requires weapons to be stowed in locked, hard-sided containers.