Online Ordnance Purchase Goes "Up in Smoke"

Llansantffraid, Powys, England A collector who bought a WWII-era Hungarian stick grenade online for 51 pounds (approximately 66 US dollars) was forced to turn the UXO over to EOD for a controlled detonation.

Kallum Williams said the item was advertised as decommissioned, but when it arrived it appeared still have explosive powder inside. He called the police after realizing it should have had holes in it where the powder had been removed. "It felt like a saltshaker," Williams said.

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UXO "Déjà vu" at Pittsburgh International

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Yep, you read that right! The UXO fairy strikes again at Pittsburgh International Airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that a passenger's checked bag was flagged after it was found to contain two inert grenades.

In a social media post about the incident, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein wrote, "The traveler said his friend told him that he could take them on a plane. With friends like that, . . ."

And these are not the first munitions TSA agents have found at the Pittsburgh airport this summer. Last month we reported that TSA intercepted another inert grenade at a checkpoint, the same day a smoke grenade was found in a carry-on bag.

Another Grenade Incident Reported by TSA

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo International Airport was temporarily evacuated after the discovery of two grenade-like items were found during an x-ray screening of a passenger's carry-on luggage.

According to a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), agents were conducting routine screening of the bag when they spotted the suspicious items. Hawaii Police Department Capt. Brian Prudencio said, "It temporarily inconvenienced the travelers due to the evacuation and securing of the airport."

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TSA Finds Grenade in Passenger's Carry-on

Seattle, Washington Officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) had a busy day recently when they found three loaded firearms and an inert grenade during separate routine screenings.

TSA notified officers with the Port of Seattle Police Department who responded to each security checkpoint to remove the firearms from the X-ray tunnels and make contact with each of the travelers. There are no reports that any of the discoveries are linked, and each traveler was eventually permitted to continue their travels.

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Two Separate Grenade Seizures at PIA Airport Security

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Two passengers were flagged at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIA) in a single day for attempting to bring grenades aboard their flights. According to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, the first man tried to pass through the security checkpoint with an inert hand grenade in his bag.

"Most people plan on having a blast on their trip, but this guy wasn't thinking along those lines when TSA officers intercepted this grenade at the Pittsburgh airport checkpoint yesterday," Farbstein posted on social media. "Fortunately, it was inert, however grenades, live or inert are not allowed on planes," she reminded travelers.

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Resident's Good Intentions Lead to a Stern Explosives Safety Warning

Harwich, Massachusetts A warning has been issued after a Harwich resident brought a bag filled with old munitions to the Harwich Public Safety Complex. According to the Harwich Fire Department who posted a picture of the ordnance on social media, the state police bomb squad was called to the scene.

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WWII Ordnance Abandoned at Former Fire Hall

Wenatchee, Washington State Police were called after someone discovered an a 40-mm shell outside the former Wenatchee fire station across from City Hall. A pair of gardening gloves were laid on top of the shell.

The police setup an exclusion zone around the ordnance and notified the Army for technical support. The police chief told reports that the shell was about 12 inches long dating back to WWII. It was left at the northeast corner of the fire hall property, which has been vacant since 2021.

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Military Ordnance Prompts Closure of Storage Facility

Watsonville, California Police were called after staff at a storage facility found a military ordnance inside one of the storage units. The storage facility was shut down while police investigated. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad responded to safely remove the ordnance, reported as a 40-mm round.

EOD Called to Charity Shop for Donation Detonation

Wem, England British Army EOD responded to a quiet market town to carry out a controlled explosion after ordnance was donated to a charity shop. A portion of the Wem, Shropshire town center was cordoned off after the 10-inch shell was discovered by staff in a bag of donations at the Severn Hospice store.

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Bomb Squad Responds to Reports of UXO at Home of Known Felon

Tuscola, Michigan The Tuscola County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police (MSP) bomb squad responded to the home of a known felon after reports that the man living there was removing multiple firearms from the residence after a housefire.

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