TSA reminds travelers not to pack 'batarangs' in carry-on bags

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The Transportation Security Administration is reminding U.S. travelers to refrain from packing Batman-style "batarangs" in their carry-on bags.

The agency posted a photo to Instagram last week showing a trio of the bat-shaped throwing stars seized from a passenger's luggage at San Francisco International Airport.

"These #Batarangs were discovered in a carry-on bag at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). While prohibited in carry-on bags, these may be packed in checked luggage," the post said.

"Passengers are not allowed to bring anything on a plane that resembles a weapon, so anything like a boomerang or anything like that would not be permitted in the airplane cabin," TSA spokesman Mike England told The Hollywood Reporter.

The TSA said batarangs and other replica weapons are commonly found in the carry-on bags of people returning from events such as Comic Con International in San Diego.

"Every year during Comic-Con International, our officers have issues with the various items that people purchase and then either carry-on or place in their checked bags. These come in the form of figurines, costume items (including replica and real weapons) and other mementos that generally alarm our checkpoint and checked baggage screening systems and result in a bag check," TSA social media manager Bob Burns said in a blog post.

The agency's Instagram account features numerous pictures of batarangs seized from carry-on bags.

"Batarangs are becoming more and more common and it's important that you know they're prohibited in carry-on bags. They can be placed in your checked baggage along with your grapple gun, bat-saw, collapsible bat-sword, and other utility belt items," the agency said in a January post about batarangs seized in Salt Lake City.