TSA officers find knives 'artfully concealed' inside Darth Vader teddy bear

PHILADELPHIA (TCD) -- Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a New York woman and her son this week after an alarm went off in the airport’s security machine.

The TSA wrote in a statement that on Dec. 27, a stuffed animal "triggered an alarm as it entered the checkpoint X-ray machine" at Philadelphia International Airport. The X-ray machine showed a concealed object inside a black teddy bear that was wearing a "space-age technology suit and cape" made to resemble Darth Vader.

TSA agents reportedly inspected the bear more closely and noticed its back looked as if it had been restitched. According to the statement, "TSA officers removed the stitches from the rear of the bear and pulled out two knives that had been artfully concealed inside the toy, in the middle of the bear’s stuffing."

Pictures show the knives that were hidden inside the toy, which appear to be regular silverware. The mother, who reportedly hails from Cortland, N.Y., told TSA agents the bear was a "comfort toy" for her son.

Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for the airport, said, "This is a good example of why we cannot assume that something as innocent-looking as a child’s stuffed animal is not a risk to security. Someone intentionally attempted to conceal two knives inside this 9-year-old boy’s toy for whatever reason. It was a good catch on the part of our TSA officers."

According to TSA, the mother could face a federal civil penalty.

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