JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was charged with trying to bring a gun wrapped in aluminum foil and a towel aboard a plane at Jacksonville International Airport, authorities said Tuesday.
Ahmad Abdallah Abu Ghanam was on his way to Chicago then Jordan on Monday when Transportation Security Administration workers found the .380-calibar semiautomatic gun in his checked luggage. The serial number had been scratched off, said Michael Stewart, director of external affairs for the airport.
Abu Ghanam told police he bought the weapon on the street a month ago and he did not realize the serial number was missing.
Travelers are allowed to check unloaded handguns as long as they are declared to airline employees and are stowed in special cases.
Stewart said the discovery was a good sign because it shows an efficient system.
"The system worked. The attorneys and courts will handle it from here," Stewart said.
Abu Ghanam was charged with removal of a firearm serial number. He was being held on $10,003 bail, The Florida Times-Union reported.
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