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Security personnel at the Portland International Jetport on Wednesday found a loaded handgun in a Minot woman’s purse, the agency said.

The woman, who was not identified, told airport police that she forget she had tucked the loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun into her bag before approaching a security checkpoint inside the airport.

This was the first handgun detected this year by TSA agents at the Jetport, according to a statement by TSA.

Although passengers are permitted to travel with firearms, guns are not permitted inside the cabin, and must be unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided case, and packed separate from ammunition.

No charges have been filed against the woman, a TSA spokewoman said, but she could face a civil fine of up to $13,333. Typically, a first offense costs $4,100 in fines.

 

Matt Byrne has covered crime and public safety for the Press Herald since 2016. It is his second beat since being hired at the Press Herald in late 2012, when he left the Boston Globe's suburban news bureau....