Transportation Security Administration officers detected a handgun loaded with seven bullets at the security checkpoint at Lehigh Valley International Airport on Thursday.

TSA officers spotted the loaded gun in the man’s carry-on bag and alerted the airport authority police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and arrested the man, a resident of Lehighton.

His name has not been released.

Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane. Additionally, replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage.

At the airport during the check-in process, a passenger needs to go to the airline ticket counter to declare the firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts. TSA also recommends travelers check with their airline prior to their flight to ensure they comply with any airline-specific requirements for transporting firearms.

Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint depend on whether the firearm was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition. Citations for loaded guns range from $3,000 to $10,000 and from $1,500 to $2,475 for unloaded guns.