Man Arrested After TSA Finds 200 Credit Cards Hidden In Duffel Bag

The Transportation Security Administration keeps a long list of items travelers aren’t permitted to fly with including guns, knives, daggers, and box cutters. While the agency doesn’t explicitly tell consumers they can’t bring along stolen merchandise, like say 200 credit cards, if agents find the pilfered items you’ll likely be arrested. Just ask a New York man who suffered that very fate earlier this week.

The Sun-Sentinel reports that a 25-year-old New York man was arrested at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Sunday after TSA agents found several stacks of credit cards in his duffel bag.

According to a police report, during security screening at the airport an X-ray monitor showed an unknown mass inside the mans bag, prompting TSA to conduct a physical search of the luggage.

At that point that a security screener found four stacks of credit cards tucked-away inside four different shoes at the bottom of the bag.

In all, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said they found 136 blank credit cards with logos of various banks and 62 cards with two different listed account holders and various account numbers.

The Sun-Sentinel reports that at first the man told authorities he had no idea how the credit cards got in his bag, but eventually changed his story, saying he was paid $200 by a cousin to bring the cards to New York.

The man was arrested on one count of trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and one count of falsely making credit cards.

NYC man arrested at airport after credit cards found in luggage [Sun-Sentinel]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.