Confiscated TSA Items Reclaimed by Highest Bidders
Joe Cortez September 21, 2017
Montreal, PQ, Canada - November 15, 2015: Airline passengers waiting in line to pass through airport security at Pierre Eliott Trudeau airport
“Voluntarily Abandoned Property” recycled or resold through state agencies.
What happens to items that are confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)? They are often donated or resold through state-run agencies. A USA Today report reveals many things confiscated at the checkpoint may be able to be reclaimed through state auctions or surplus warehouses.
Under federal law, the TSA is not allowed to return prohibited items, known as “voluntarily abandoned property,” to passengers, nor are they allowed to profit from selling them. Agents who are discovered taking the confiscated the property are subject to immediate termination.
Instead, prohibited and otherwise confiscated articles are sorted for transfer. Liquids are disposed of, while firearms are handled by police agencies. Everything else is either donated to local organizations, or transferred to state agencies for sale.
From there, states can elect to sell the items in lots at auction, or individually at surplus centers. Each state has a different way of handling property; while some host live auctions for lots, others turn to eBay or GovDeals.com to sell off inventory.
When traveling through the TSA checkpoint, the agency reminds flyers to leave potentially prohibited items at home. Those caught with violating items may face civil enforcement penalties, including fines and loss of TSA PreCheck privileges.
Those who do discover that they have an illegal item on their person have several options to ensure they are not forced to leave stuff behind. These include leaving the item in their car or with their transport to the airport, mail items back to themselves at post offices, or stow items inside checked luggage to be retrieved at the final destination.
