Security officers at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport discovered 30 bullets in the carry-on bag of an American Airlines crewmember during a screening last month.
The unidentified flight attendant had passed through multiple security checkpoints before airport authorities found the ammunition. He was returning to the United States on duty when the loaded magazines containing the rounds were detected by Japanese police.
Though the magazines were loaded, no firearm was found with the employee. The crewmember told investigators he had inadvertently left the bullets in his bag prior to traveling to Tokyo. According to reports, he had passed through security at a U.S. airport with the ammunition in his luggage and the rounds were not discovered there.
In the United States, carrying ammunition in a carry-on bag is prohibited even if a firearm is not present. While the flight attendant was not immediately charged, Japanese authorities have said they are reviewing the incident under the country’s gun and sword control law.