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SALT LAKE CITY — Transportation Security Administration employees working at Salt Lake City International Airport got quite the scare recently. This is now being used as a reminder to bring “unusual” items into the airport.
On the morning of September 18, authorities said they were examining a traveler’s luggage using X-ray images and found what appeared to be a human skull and an “unidentified object inside” that resembled some type of improvised explosive device. The company announced that it had discovered that it contained “parts” and had flagged it. .
Salt Lake City police, along with explosives experts and K-9 explosive detectors, were called in to investigate and temporarily shut down the airport’s baggage screening system for two hours.
Turns out it wasn’t a human skull, an explosive, or a Halloween decoration. TSA officials said agents located the passenger and took the skull, a medical training tool used by spine surgeons and neurosurgeons to demonstrate how to perform lobotomies, to a trade show in Cancun, Mexico. I explained that I was there.
Lobotomies were once a common method for treating mental illness, but they fell “out of favor” decades ago and are no longer performed in the United States, although they are still allowed today, albeit in rare cases. There are also some types of psychosurgery. According to Healthline.
Officials decided not to allow travelers to bring the devices on board the flight, but instead held them for travelers to pick up when they returned to Salt Lake City.
“This incident and its subsequent response ensured that TSA was able to eliminate all potential security threats while not endangering the transportation system,” Matt Davis, Utah’s TSA Federal Security Director, said in a statement Friday. “This is an example of how seriously we have to take this.” “We were pleased with the professionalism of all involved who worked closely together to fully resolve the issue, ensure security remained intact and resume operations as quickly as possible.”
Davis said passengers should contact a TSA supervisor or administrator when they arrive at an airport with “very unusual items” that could be reported as a threat. The agency added that passengers can also: Ask questions about products onlineincluding Social media.
“This will give TSA a preview of what will be shown and will help avoid potential cancellations,” the agency official added.