NW politician jailed in Hong Kong after bringing firearm in carry-on bag on flight from Portland – OregonLive

A Washington state senator was arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun that was not registered in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, his website and local media reported. He apparently traveled with the firearm in his carry-on bag through security at Portland International Airport.

Jeff Wilson, a Republican from Longview, was taken into custody after landing at the Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday. Wilson was traveling with his wife for a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia, his website said. He was released on bail on Monday.

Wilson, 63, could not immediately be reached for comment, but he said in a statement that “it was an honest mistake. And I expect the situation to be resolved shortly.”

Wilson was embarking on a five-week personal vacation to Southeast Asia when he departed Portland International Airport, said his spokesperson Erik Smith, who could not confirm the date of departure or the airline Wilson used.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, firearms only can be brought on commercial flights if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and checked.

Last year, transportation security officers detected 108 firearms in carry-on luggage in Oregon, a record number, according to the TSA. Seventy-eight of those were found at PDX, which was a record for the airport, too. Firearms were found at a higher rate at PDX — about 10 per one million passengers screened — than the national average. The airport screened about 7.7 million passengers in 2022.

“This is not a new problem, but it is one that must be addressed since we have reached an unacceptable level of firearms coming through our security checkpoints,” said Kathleen McDonald, TSA Federal Security Director for Oregon. “We are pleading with the traveling public to double-check the contents of your carry-on luggage and follow the proper procedures for traveling with firearms.”

Smith said Wilson inadvertently packed a revolver in his carry-on bag. The gun was not spotted by security at the airport and Wilson only realized he had packed it when he was midflight and reached for some gum in his bag, Smith said.

Once Wilson landed in Hong Kong, he alerted customs authorities to the gun, and was arrested. A Hong Kong publication called The Standard reports the weapon was detected by a baggage screener.

According to Smith, Wilson’s spokesperson, the state senator flew from Portland International Airport to San Francisco for a connecting flight before discovering the gun in his briefcase while in flight. Smith said Wilson’s gun cleared both airports.

He was jailed and later posted bail, which the news outlet The Standard reported was HK$20,000. Wilson has surrendered his passport and the firearm, Smith said. He is awaiting a hearing scheduled for Oct. 30 and has legal counsel.

Smith said the gun is properly licensed and registered in the United States, and that Wilson is taking the vacation at his personal expense and is not representing the Washington state Senate. However, Wilson was planning to meet with officials with the port of Shanghai, Smith said. Wilson sits on the commission of the Port of Longview.

“We are learning about the incident with Sen. Wilson at the same time as the press and public here in America,” Washington state Senate Republican Leader John Braun, of Centralia, said in a statement. “As I understand it, this was an honest mistake. I do not have any additional information to share at this point, but we are watching the situation closely. That said, I hope that this can be resolved in a timely manner.”

— The Associated Press, the Seattle Times and The Daily News in Longview contributed