A 40-year-old Pennsylvania man was arrested by federal agents after he tried to pass explosive material onto a flight headed to Orlando in checked baggage, Florida at a regional airport in Allentown, WCAU NBC-10 in Philadelphia reports.
The TSA said Mark Muffley of Lansford was seen on security cameras carrying the bag into the airport around 10:45 a.m. on Monday and checking the bag at the Allegiant Air counter. Around 40 minutes later, the suitcase triggered a routine screening before being loaded on the aircraft. Agents searched the bag and found a three-inch disk of a compound suspected to be explosive material, wrapped in wax paper, sewn into the lining of the bag. Two fuses were connected to the device. As local police and FBI arrived at the scene, agents found additional items in his checked baggage, including a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with cordless batteries and two GFCI outlets taped together with black tape.
Analysis showed the disk to be made of a mix of black powder and an explosive found in fireworks. Officials say one fuse was for a short burn, while the other was for a longer time before detonation. Airport security paged Muffley in the passenger area of the airport but he didn’t respond. Police later arrested him at his home. This arrest comes just two days after a New Jersey man tried to check a small arsenal in his suitcases at the Newark airport.