Getting on a plane with a severed finger in carry-on baggage

This kind of relates to airport security, but I decided to start a new thread since my question is very specific.

How likely is it that a person on an international flight (in this case, flying from Amsterdam to London) would be able to take a severed finger through the security checks? He's travelling light, so he will only have carry-on baggage. I'm assuming that the finger won't raise much attention when the bag goes through the scanner, but am I wrong? I also assume that he would be required to have some kind of documentation for the finger in order to take it with him legitimately (which he will not have, of course).

In the story he takes the finger to England without any trouble. When I write this scene I won't elaborate on the practicalities, since this is a minor plot line and I want the reader to focus on different matters altogether, but I do want to have some kind of idea as to how it would work out. I would appreciate any comments.

Thanks, everyone! Great responses.

c.h valentino said:

(According to a TSA employee who would like to remain nameless) It's a gamble really - someone sees it in the scanner, they can pull you out of line and wait until the proper autorities arrive. Someone else mentioned the thing about dogs at the custom check points, and this, too, is a gamble.

CHV

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This is pretty much how I thought it would be - in other words, things could go either way. My thanks to the anonymous TSA employee!

lbender said:

Why does it have to be carry-on? If you put it in a suitcase underneath, in a can of something, you're much more likely to be able to get it through.

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Yes, things would be much easier if he checked in a bag! But I don't think he will have more than a carry-on, as this is a spur of the moment kind of trip and he has very little stuff to begin with. But that would almost solve the problem, I think.

--In fact, he'll be travelling with someone who will certainly check in a bag. And now I think I know what I'm going to do about this: he will hide the finger in his companion's suitcase. It will be simple and easy as he will have access to the suitcase before and after the flight. Ta da!

PeterL said:

There are people who travel all around with material for transplants. Taking severed finger on an international flight would be unusual, but I expect that similart things have happened. I expect that the security people would be surprised, but they wouldn't do anything as long as there was documentation.

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This was also a very good point, thanks. This finger just happens to be pretty old and shrivelled. c.h valentino's suggestion of the bag of pretzels got me thinking that he might put the finger in a bag of beef jerky.

That said, I think I will put the finger in another character's suitcase and count on it that it won't be noticed. Thanks again!

Thanks, RJK, that's good to know! I always like the most obvious hiding places.

Canotila said:

This totally made me laugh, because if it did get discovered he could feign horror and make it out to seem like someone at the jerky factory lost an appendage.

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Exactly

Thanks again for the comments! I decided that I will either slip the finger in another character's baggage which is checked in, or go with RJK's comment.