BOISE, Idaho — Of all the crazy things that pass through security checkpoints at airports across the country each year, the Boise Airport saw the "most unusual" item for all of 2025, reports the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In a recent ranking by the TSA for the "Top 10 list of most unusual finds at checkpoints in 2025," a replica pipe bomb discovered by security personnel at the Boise Airport topped the list.
The discovery, which occurred in May of 2025, happened after an alarm was triggered regarding a checked bag. That alarm prompted a secondary screening, which included a TSA explosives specialist examining the bag via X-ray imaging.
During a bag search, the investigating officer then discovered "PVC pipes and wooden blocks wrapped in paper, marked “C4” with protruding wires."
The TSA explosives specialist later determined the pipe bombs were replicas and non-explosive.
Other items included in the TSA Top 10 list included turtles in brassieres, bullets in a bottle of Nesquick, and drugs in a pair of shoes. You can find the complete list below.
TSA’s Top 10 list of most unusual finds at checkpoints in 2025:
10. Bullets and knives in tinfoil, Ohio’s Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
9. Firearm in a golf bag, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
8. Bullets in Nesquik, Miami International Airport (MIA)
7. Knife in a car seat, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
6. Pills in a shampoo bottle, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
5. Knife in a knee brace, Illinois’ Quad Cities International Airport (MLI)
4. Drugs in shoes, Hawaii’s Kona International Airport (KOA)
3. Razor blades in clothes, Denver International Airport (DEN)
2. Turtles in pants and bra, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Miami International Airport (MIA)
1. Explosive replicas at Boise Airport (BOI)
You can find a list of prohibited items at airports via the 'What Can I Bring" tool by TSA.
