Tampa Airport staff left stunned after Florida passengers ‘souvenir’ collection sparks police probe
A routine customs check at Tampa International Airport turned into something out of a crime drama when officers discovered what appeared to be human remains wrapped in tinfoil, stuffed among a passenger’s belongings.
The traveller, who had just returned to the United States, dutifully declared a “small collection” at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint, as is required when re-entering the country, but officers quickly realised there was more to this declaration than a handful of souvenirs.
Inside the luggage, agents uncovered part of a human skull and several bones, packed alongside a strange assortment of cigars and “prohibited plants.”
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CBP officials weren’t amused.
They determined that the remains posed “serious health risks” and promptly destroyed them.
“At @CBP, we never know what baggage may hold, but smugglers should know we’ll always have a bone to pick,” Mr Martel quipped on X, adding a touch of dark humour to the otherwise grim find.
Authorities have since opened an investigation to confirm whether the bones were authentic human remains, a process that could involve forensic analysis to determine their origin, The New York Post reported.
This isn’t the first time Tampa International has been the scene of bizarre discoveries.
In 2023, the airport made headlines when security officers intercepted a would-be passenger attempting to carry a four-foot “emotional support” boa constrictor named Bartholomew through screening.
And in the first four months of 2024 alone, more than 1500 firearms were confiscated by TSA officers at airports nationwide, with Tampa ranking among the top 10 for the most weapons seized.
Despite these incidents, Tampa International recently tied for third-best “large” airport in the US for passenger satisfaction — proof that strange baggage and unruly travellers aren’t enough to spook its reputation.
Other unusual cases across airports have ranged from faux bomb threats by disgruntled passengers to actual corpses turning up in baggage claim, proving that airports are never short of surprises.
As for the bone-carrying passenger, CBP says the investigation is ongoing, and for now, their tinfoil-wrapped “ritual items” won’t be making it past customs anytime soon.
