Global Courant 2023-04-25 21:52:57
A drinking straw hidden in a traveler’s backpack led to the man’s arrest at a Boston airport, police said.
The 26-year-old was caught with a sharp, titanium “vampire” straw at Boston Logan International Airport on April 23, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Police arrested the Chicago man on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon after being called to a security checkpoint when Transportation Security Administration agents found the straw, a press release said.
“The passenger artfully hid the Vampire straw with other straws,” Transportation Security Administration Dan Velez told McClatchy News in a statement on April 25.
“Vampire straws” are not allowed in carry-on luggage, Velez wrote on Twitter on April 24.
The man told police he bought the straw from a company called Szaboinc, which advertises the straw’s dual function online.
It can be used to drink potions and as a dagger for self-defense — with a chiseled point “sharp enough to pierce most synthetic materials,” police said.
The company also advertises it as “a weapon you’ll actually use every day” that can be hidden in a cup “without attracting attention.”
The man posted bail after his arrest and must appear in court for arraignment, according to state police.
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