BELLINGHAM - A loaded revolver was found in a man's carry-on baggage at Bellingham International Airport on Tuesday morning, Jan. 29.

The man arrived early for his flight to Reno, Nev. At about 11 a.m., a routine screening of his luggage at the security checkpoint revealed the .22-caliber Derringer handgun, said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lorie Dankers. TSA officers found five rounds of ammunition in the chambers.

After some questioning, the man was allowed to board the flight. He turned the gun over to someone else who wasn't traveling, Dankers said. The flight wasn't delayed because of the investigation.

Dankers declined to release the man's name because he hasn't been accused of a crime.

Guns, ammunition and realistic replicas of firearms are banned from carry-on bags - under penalty of criminal charges and a civil penalty up to $7,500. If the weapons are declared, they can be transported in checked baggage.

Travellers should contact their airline for more specific information about getting firearms to their destination.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

For more about items prohibited on planes, see this rundown from the TSA.

Reach Caleb Hutton at 360-715-2276 or caleb.hutton@bellinghamherald.com. Read his dispatcher blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher or follow him on Twitter at @bhamcrime.