According to ABC News , Washington state senator Jeff Wilson was arrested in Hong Kong last Friday after he discovered a gun in his carry-on luggage and reported it to customs officials upon landing.
Wilson was travelling with his wife on the first leg of a five-week holiday in Asia when the incident happened.
No guns sign at security check at a US airport
A spokesman for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said yesterday that Wilson boarded a flight in Portland, US, and "went through security, traveling with an unloaded firearm in his carry-on bag." He was connecting to a flight to Hong Kong at San Francisco International Airport and did not undergo additional screening at that time.
TSA "takes this very seriously and is currently investigating the circumstances," a spokesperson said in a statement.
Wilson called the incident "a real mistake" and said he discovered the gun mid-flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong when he reached into his pocket and found it inside. When the plane landed, Wilson "immediately" reported it to customs officials.
In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Wilson blamed the TSA for not detecting the gun in the state. He said the gun should not have escaped in the US when baggage screeners failed to detect the pistol in the bag when it went through security in Portland.
Senator Wilson was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm in Hong Kong and was released on bail on Sunday, but faces a hearing on October 30.
Earlier this month, the TSA said it was on track to intercept a record number of guns at US airports this year, seizing an average of 20 guns a day.
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