Orlando Fla Sept 22 2013 Florida gun owners are being advised to repack their bags before flying after a recent jump in seized firearms at airports across the state.

Ten handguns were confiscated in less than a week in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando with the most recent stopped today in Tampa, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration on Thursday.

“Unpack before packing to be sure you do not have prohibited items such as guns in your carry-on bag,” TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz wrote in an email.
Orlando International Airport continues to lead the state with 31 guns seized this year. Fort Lauderdale and Tampa are tied at 29. Others include Miami, 25, Jacksonville, 19, and Palm Beach, 10, records show.

The latest Orlando case was Saturday afternoon when a state concealed-weapon permit holder was arrested trying to board a flight to Minneapolis with a loaded .380-caliber pistol in his carry-on bag, records show.

Gregory Squires, 45, of St. Cloud was charged with carrying a firearm in a place prohibited by law and booked at the Orange County Jail.
Besides the criminal charge, he faces up to $11,000 in federal fines, records show.

The recent gun confiscations include four in four days in Miami and three in four days in Jacksonville.

Passengers on domestic flights are allowed to travel with firearms if they are properly declared, unloaded and cased inside checked luggage. T
SA advises travelers to check local and state gun laws. More information is available at http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information.

More than 1,500 guns were stopped by TSA officers last year.

More than 1,200 have been stopped this year, according to TSA.

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