A woman who allegedly tried to board the Beijing metro with two guns and ammunition contained in a suitcase has been detained by police, state media reported.
Zhao Siyu, an X-ray baggage scanner operator on duty at Gongzhufen Station's security checkpoint, noticed two gun- shaped items in a black suitcase during a regular security check on July 13, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Zhao immediately notified other station security staff by using code words, and they coordinated to divert the other passengers to go to different security checkpoints.
To avoid panicking the people in the queue, subway staff shut down the X-ray machine discreetly by saying it was malfunctioning, the report said.
The woman refused to open the suitcase at first, claiming she had no idea what was inside.
However, she then relented following which another X-ray baggage scanner operator opened the suitcase and confirmed that what was inside did appear to be guns and ammunition.
Subway security staff then inspected the items, which turned out to be one 90-centimetre-long gun and one 15-centimetre-long gun besides 50 rounds of ammunition.
The woman passenger along with her suitcase and the suspected firearms are in police custody and an investigation is underway, another daily Global Times reported.
Guns and other dangerous items are not allowed to be taken onto the Beijing subway.
Under the gun administration law that took effect in 1996, only hunters and herders in designated hunting and pastoral zones can apply for permits to own firearms.
X-ray scanner operators can be fined up to 1,000 yuan (USD 151.41) for failing to identify contraband.
