TSA officers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport arrested a passenger after discovering a hidden cache of narcotics stashed inside a modified Mac mini. The discovery occurred when a routine X-ray scan revealed that the desktop computer was not quite what it seemed.
As reported by People, lead TSA officer Logan Stortz was operating the security machine when he spotted an electronic item with an unusual mass and wiring. Stortz initially thought this might be a test run by one of the many levels of testing teams within TSA.
He decided to prompt a bag check to be certain, which confirmed that the device had been tampered with. He brought in property search officer Isaiah Martinez Jr. for a second opinion, and Martinez confirmed that he noticed something was awry. Martinez agreed that the mass in the carry-on was suspicious and noted he was in shock at the situation.
They found something beneath the Mac mini
The situation escalated as more officers arrived to inspect the carry-on. The TSA described the item as a large organic mass beneath the Apple Mac mini desktop computer. Supervisory officers Emily Price and Scott Evans arrived to assist with the investigation.
Price noted that the way this was concealed was unusual, while Evans observed that the computer showed signs of tampering. Evans further explained that he first observed that the mass was not connected to the computer, and then noticed the mass inside the box under a concealed compartment…