We’ve all read news stories about passengers having prohibited items confiscated before boarding a plane. But what happens to these items afterward, and where do they go? If a passenger attempts to bring prohibited items on board, the airport security service not only confiscates them and issues a seizure report, but also removes the offender from the flight, handing them over to law enforcement for further investigation.
Afterward, the confiscated item undergoes a specific procedure as required by law.
Items Prohibited on Planes
- Firearms
- Explosives
- Cold weapons (knives, etc.)
- Radioactive materials
- Compressed and liquefied gases
- Ammunition
- Flammable liquids
- Flammable solids
- Poisonous and toxic substances
- Corrosive and caustic substances
- Narcotics
What Happens to Confiscated Items
If you have items that are not prohibited to possess but are not allowed on the plane, they will be taken from you. What happens next depends on the circumstances, such as whether the item is completely banned or just not allowed in carry-on luggage.
Items like manicure scissors or cosmetic products need to be checked in as baggage, placed in storage, handed over to someone seeing you off, or discarded. Valuable items are confiscated with a report and stored for three months, during which they can be claimed. The handling of confiscated items is fairly similar in different countries.
Handling Confiscated Items Abroad
For example, abroad, confiscated items of any value, as well as forgotten baggage, are often sold at auctions, in specialized shops, or on classifieds. According to modern safety requirements, all confiscated liquids, including alcoholic beverages and perfumes (even in sealed store packaging), are ruthlessly disposed of.
Handling Confiscated Items in Russia
In Russia, no auctions are held; the process is not legally regulated, so the baggage is simply destroyed after the storage period expires, following established legal regulations. Confiscated items, whose manufacture, storage, and transportation are criminal offenses, are handled according to legal procedures.
Disposal of Hazardous Materials
Specially hired companies handle the disposal of hazardous materials (such as ammunition, explosives, or radioactive substances). Weapons are destroyed at specialized sites, and radioactive substances with relatively short half-lives are placed in temporary storage in sealed containers at special sites. Over time, they become ordinary household waste. High-activity waste is managed by specialized plants using chemical processing technologies to extract most of the radioactive substance for reuse.
To prevent high-activity substances from entering the environment, waste is mixed with liquid glass melted in an induction furnace. The resulting mass is poured into thick-walled containers made of alloyed steel. In solid form, it is resistant to water and chemicals, allowing for safe burial in underground storage facilities.