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TSA chief ousted over failure to detect weapons

A report published by ABC News shows that the agents managed to smuggle the weapons through 95 percent of the American airport checkpoints.

Acting administrator for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been ousted after media reports revealed that checkpoint screeners at almost all of US busiest airports failed to detect mock explosives.

Melvin Carraway, who was removed from office, would be reassigned to serve in the Office of State and Local Law Enforcement at Department of Homeland Security headquarters, said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

Airport screeners, who are employees of the TSA, failed to detect banned weapons in 67 of 70 tests at dozens of airports, according to a report by ABC News.

The report shows that undercover agents managed to smuggle the weapons through 95 percent of the American airport checkpoints.

The TSA would be led by acting Deputy Director Mark Hatfield until a new acting administrator be appointed to the office.

“We take these findings very seriously in our continued effort to test, measure and enhance our capabilities and techniques as threats evolve,” Johnson said. 

He ordered training for all TSA officers and supervisors across the United States  and testing of airports' screening equipment.

Johnson also pledged that more random covert testing would be carried out at checkpoints.

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