The number of "artfully concealed" banned items increased at airports in June – raising fears about U.S. aircraft safety, The
Washington Times reports.
Citing a confidential Transportation Security Administration report, the Times said the discovery of prohibited items included weapons, ammunition and a hatchet hidden in luggage.
"The examples highlighted in this report are noteworthy for the behavior, size or unique tactic of concealment involved," one unnamed official said in the report, according to the Times.
"Weapon, ammunition, and drug smuggling in an artfully concealed manner continued during this reporting period. Some discoveries of interest this month involved drugs concealed in luggage and clothing, ammunition and a hatchet concealed in luggage, and one incident of possible insider access involving smuggling."
The increase in incidents rose from 10 in May to 13 in June, which is down from peak numbers in 2013, the Times reports.
The report doesn't mention terrorism or the Islamic State, and said the incidents in June "appear to be criminal in nature," yet notes, "all of the tactics could be used to smuggle items for more nefarious purposes," according to the Times.
Robert Maginnis, a retired Army officer and counterterrorism specialist, tells the Times ISIS looks at ways it can bring down planes.
"Expect ISIS agents to use the latest technology to include small armed drones, chemical agents made from inert substances, and biological toxins to create catastrophic situations for aircraft whether in flight or on the ground," he tells the Times.
The Times also reports that a U.S. railroad association has issued a separate alert in the wake of ISIS' social media posts, such as its magazine Dabiq, urging followers to kill.
A year ago, two U.S. servicemen
stopped a heavily armed jihadist from gunning down passengers on a high-speed Amsterdam-to-Paris train.
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