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Mass. Man Detained After Cologne Sets Off Airport Explosive Detector


BOSTON (CBS) - A Massachusetts man says the end to his vacation was anything but pleasant when TSA agents targeted him because of his cologne.

Jean Marie Occean, his wife, and young daughter were in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport ready to fly back to Boston. Occean said the TSA pulled him into a separate room for additional screening when he tested positive for explosive chemicals.

He said agents eventually told him it was likely something very common that set off the sensors.
"It could be cologne. I had never heard that," said Occean.

His cologne that was bought at a local department store could have set off the TSA's bomb detection system.

"My wife wore cologne from France, and she didn't get tested," said Occean.

In a statement the TSA said in part:
"TSA's Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) technology must be sensitive enough to detect even the slightest presence of explosives on a passenger or piece of luggage. Due to this sensitivity, on occasion, commonly used items can render a false positive alarm during screening. All ETD alarms generated from a passenger's hands are resolved by conducting additional screening of the passenger and their accessible property.

ETD technology as part of its layered approach to security to protect the nation's transportation networks. TSA has used ETD technology at security checkpoints around the country to screen carry-on and checked baggage as well as passengers for explosives. Since ETD is used on a random basis, passengers should not expect to see the same thing at every airport or each time they travel."


Occean grew-up in Haiti and became a U.S. citizen last month. He rarely flies and doesn't know when or if he'll do it again.