TSA finds disassembled gun in jars of peanut butter

(CNN) - A Transportation Security Administration officer at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport found himself in a bit of a sticky situation Thursday.

He was screening some checked baggage when one of the bags triggered an alarm, according to a TSA spokesperson.

The officer opened the bag and found two plastic jars of creamy peanut butter.

Upon closer inspection, the spokesperson reported, he found parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun hidden inside. The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets.

TSA officials notified the Port Authority Police, who confiscated the items, tracked down the traveler in the terminal and arrested him.

Civil penalties for attempting to bring undeclared weapons onto a flight can cost up to $15,000.