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***Related video above: How many guns TSU seized across the country last year***

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Investigators reported seizing five guns at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport‘s security checkpoints in April.

Most recently, TSA agents stopped a loaded firearm on April 28, marking the ninth gun confiscated at Hopkins checkpoints this year.

TSA found 5 guns at Hopkins Airport in April
Courtesy of TSA

Federal agents seized a total of 35 handguns at Hopkins last year. That was down from 43 guns in 2021.

According to 2022 records, the number of guns found in airport security lines continues to rise across the country. To combat this, TSA recently upped the maximum penalty for violators to $14,950.

Violators also have their TSA PreCheck eligibility revoked for at least five years, officials say.

“Passengers must remember they’re responsible for the contents of bags, and our advice is they thoroughly inspect all personal belongings to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items before coming to the airport,” said Ohio TSA Federal Security Director Don Barker.

TSA officials remind passengers that they can travel with firearms in checked bags if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.