A Routine TSA Bag Check Turned Into An ‘Indiana Jones’ Mystery

A routine baggage screening at an Alabama airport turned into an unexpected Civil War mystery after TSA officers discovered five stolen cannonballs hidden inside a passenger’s luggage. 

Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree spotted a large opaque object while reviewing X-ray images at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18. At first, he thought it looked like a medicine ball. Instead, he found five cannonballs wrapped in paper towels, with the largest being the size of a grapefruit.  

“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’” Dupree said. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”

“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” he added. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”

Dupree alerted a supervisor, who contacted the TSA’s regional explosives specialist. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office also responded to determine whether a bomb squad would be needed.

Authorities determined the roughly 150-year-old cannonballs were inert, meaning they posed no explosive threat. Even so, artillery ammunition is prohibited in luggage.

Investigators identified the cannonballs as artifacts stolen from nearby Fort Morgan after recognizing paint markings the historic Civil War site uses to catalog its collection. 

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News that a juvenile stole them from the fort’s storage area and put them in his grandmother’s luggage. Fort Morgan’s director declined to press charges, and the artifacts have since been returned. 

“I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash and TSA Alabama along with our tremendous partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department,” TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse said. 

“Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays and safety concerns.”