1,306 Guns Found By TSA Agents At U.S. Airports In 2011

Airport screeners found 1,306 guns in carry-on bags last year, and passengers continue to try sneaking prohibited items onboard, hiding them in their shoes or using hollowed-out books.

John Pistole, the man in charge of the Transportation Security Administration, said the full-body scanners are catching much of the contraband. That includes ceramic knives, which don't show up on the metal detectors and, remarkably, "exotic pets strapped to a passenger's legs."

In nearly all these cases, he told the National Press Club on Monday, the passengers don't plan to use the weapons onboard the plane. "Very few have malicious intent," he said.

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