Chesapeake man caught with loaded handgun at Norfolk International Airport

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Chesapeake man was caught with a loaded handgun at Norfolk International Airport over the weekend.

According to TSA officers at ORF, the 9mm handgun loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber, was detected at one of the airport security checkpoints on Saturday.

The Norfolk Airport Authority Police were alerted, confiscated the weapon and cited the man from Chesapeake on weapons charges.

This is the 16th firearm caught at ORF this year.

A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane. Guns are absolutely not permitted to be carried onto planes.

Checked firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm and ammunition posted on its website.