The most bizarre items found at TSA security checkpoints in 2022

Transportation Security Administration officials were busy last year uncovering several prohibited items in travelers’ luggage, including firearms hidden in raw chicken and drug-filled hair ties.

The agency created a quirky social media video showcasing their top 10 wildest catches of the year, proving that being a TSA agent can be a little more entertaining than simply rushing travelers through security.

From firearms hidden in game consoles and peanut butter jars to dormant grenades, here are the most scandalous finds of 2022.

TSA agents have spoken about the top 10 most outrageous catches of 2022

Number ten: dirty money crunches

TSA agents at El Paso International Airport were alarmed when they noticed a traveler wearing disoriented crunches.

Officials were confused when they took apart the crunches and noticed money inside, especially since it’s not illegal to carry money, according to The Washington Post.

In addition to the hidden cash, agents determined the crunches were done.

“It’s hard to imagine anyone thinking this idea doesn’t stink,” a male voiceover said in the video.

TSA agents at El Paso International Airport found money hidden in smelly crunches

Number Nine: Inactive grenade

Shockingly inactive hand grenades are often seized by security agents. One of the latest was found on a traveler at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.

Rather than going through airport security with a gun, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein recommends giving it to an agent or leaving it behind.

Hand grenades are frequently recovered by security officers, most recently from a traveler at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

Number eight: drovers hidden in a guitar case

Officials at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia got a surprise when they found cattle prods in a guitar case.

While tools up to 7 inches are prohibited in a carry-on bag, the traveler could have elected to check the bag without issue.

“This shocking device wasn’t music to our ears,” one man joked in the video.

Officials at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia got a surprise when they found cattle prods in a guitar case

Number Seven: Gun hidden in a Play Station

A sneaky traveler at Atlanta airport tried to hide a gun in a Playstation. The agents had to disassemble the game console to get to the gun.

Companies are not allowed to board the aircraft unless the passenger checks their baggage.

“You don’t want to play those games at the airport,” the man said.

A sneaky traveler at Atlanta airport tried to hide a gun in a Playstation

Number Six: Drug-filled hair ties

There are many clever ways that TSA agents have caught drug smugglers, but one of the latest innovative methods is hair bands.

Agents at the Boise Airport in Idaho uncovered clear bags of a traveler’s white powder and pills.

The passenger never made it onto the plane and was handed over to police instead, according to The Post.

There are many clever ways that TSA agents have caught drug smugglers, but one of the latest innovative methods is hair bands

Agents at the Boise Airport in Idaho uncovered clear bags of a traveler’s white powder and pills

Number five: knife hidden in a laptop

The traveler carrying the laptop hidden with the gun was attempting to get it through security at Richmond International Airport in Virginia when agents flagged it

After the TSA security detector flashed a second time, agents began examining the laptop closely and eventually found the knife inside.

“This may be cutting-edge technology, but it won’t fly with us,” said the man in the video.

After the TSA security detector at Richmond International Airport in Virginia went off for the second time, agents began examining the laptop closely and eventually found the knife inside

Number four: pistol hidden in an arm sling

Firearms appeared to be a popular trend for smugglers last year, with another memorable traveler at New York’s Greater Rochester International Airport trying to hide one in his arm sling.

Agents told the man to remove the noose when he went through the metal detectors and their X-ray screen showed something was wrong.

When agents found the gun, he simply told them he forgot he put it in there, according to the Post.

Agents at New York’s Greater Rochester International Airport asked the man to remove the sling when he went through the metal detectors and their X-ray screen showed something was wrong

Number Three: Gun covered in peanut butter

Smugglers were thinking outside the box when it came to firearms, but it seemed TSA agents were noticing the red flags.

Another firearm seizure at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport showed partially empty peanut butter bottles being opened with a gun and ammunition.

“Here’s a surefire way to get peanut butter and jail time,” joked the man in the video.

Another firearm seizure at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport showed partially empty peanut butter bottles being opened with a gun and ammunition

Number two: gun in a raw chicken

Just when TSA agents think they’ve seen it all, a traveler attempted to smuggle a gun onto a plane hidden in a whole raw chicken while at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.

The smuggler was smart enough to try to sneak the manipulated bird over the Thanksgiving holiday, but the agents knew something was wrong the moment they saw the chicken go through the X-ray machine.

“We hate to tell you here, but sticking a gun in your vacation bird for travel is just a pastime,” TSA wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

A traveler attempted to smuggle a gun hidden inside a whole raw chicken onto a plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida

Number one: fentanyl hidden in generic candy wrappers

Concealing drugs in candy is a popular trend among drug dealers who target their items at children, and one traveler at the Los Angeles airport thought he might get away with it.

Weeks before Halloween, a traveler tried to smuggle 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills in candy packages like Skittles and SweetTarts.

Apparently the smugglers didn’t get far before the drugs were confiscated.

Weeks before Halloween, a traveler attempted to smuggle 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills in candy wrappers like Skittles and SweetTarts while at LAX