Pokemon TCG cards mistaken for explosives trigger airport security scare

Traveller faces 30-minute interrogation after Pokemon TCG booster packs were flagged as a potential security threat.

A routine trip through airport security turned tense for one traveller after his Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) booster packs were mistakenly flagged as potential explosives.

The incident was shared on Reddit, where the passenger explained that he had brought a few sealed packs to gift a family member. While he had travelled with cards before without issue, this time alarms were triggered.

Security officers pulled him aside, conducted swab tests, and questioned him for 30 minutes as armed officers stood nearby. He was eventually cleared and allowed to continue his journey, but he admitted the experience left him unsettled.

“I was going on holiday and decided to take some cards to gift a family member,” he wrote. “About 30 minutes later, they let me go, saying I’m all good.” His main concern was why the packs had passed through other scanners previously without incident.

An aviation security officer active in the same Reddit community offered an explanation. According to them, stacked Pokemon cards appear on X-ray scanners as a dense organic block, a shape that can resemble certain types of explosives. Shrink-wrapped or resealed boxes increase the suspicion.

Swab tests are routine in such cases, but false positives can be caused by everyday substances including hair products or factory residue.

The officer added that operator experience also plays a role, as some security staff recognise trading card packs while others may treat them as unknown threats.

Despite the tense situation, fans responded with humour, joking that security agents were only hoping to pull a rare card. One quipped: “They saw a chase card through the scanner and wanted you to open it.”