A PIC RPT ON THE FAILURE OF THE ARPT SCREENING PROCESS IN DETECTING HAZMAT IN A PAX HANDBAG AT MDSD; FO.

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WHILE OPERATING FLT ABC ON APR/XA/01 FROM SDQ TO SJU; AND AFTER THE DOOR WAS CLOSED; JUST PRIOR TO PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE; ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM ME THAT A PAX (OF HIS OWN FREE WILL) NOTIFIED HIM THAT HE HAD FOUND AN ITEM IN HIS CARRY-ON BAGGAGE THAT HE HAD FORGOT WAS IN THERE. HE HAD REALIZED THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE ON THE AIRPLANE AND WANTED TO RPT IT BEFORE EITHER IT OR HE BECAME A PROB FOR OUR FLT. THE ITEM WAS A CLIP FROM AN AUTOMATIC HANDGUN FULLY LOADED WITH AMMUNITION. HE RPTED THAT IT WAS NOT DISCOVERED WHEN HE CAME THROUGH ARPT SECURITY AND THAT IT WAS ONLY AFTER LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE IN HIS BAG THAT HE FOUND THAT IT WAS THERE. THE PAX STATED THAT HE HAD A LICENSE TO CARRY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND DID NOT INTEND TO BRING EITHER HIS GUN OR THIS CLIP WITH HIM ON THIS TRIP. HIS GUN WAS NOT WITH HIM; BUT THE CLIP WAS. I NOTIFIED THE STATION THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE A PAX AGENT COME ON BOARD TO DISCUSS THIS. THE JETBRIDGE RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND WHEN THE AGENT CAME TO THE COCKPIT I INFORMED HER OF THE SIT. I SAID THAT ALL PAX AND HAND LUGGAGE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO ARPT SECURITY FOR RE-SCREENING AND AS THAT WAS THE SAME EQUIP THAT LET THIS SLIP BY THE FIRST TIME; THAT I WANTED STATION PERSONNEL TO MONITOR THIS SCREENING. I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED TO OVERSEE THIS AND AS I AM NOT TRAINED IN THIS ACTIVITY I DECLINED STATING THAT I WANTED SOMEONE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PROCESS TO WITNESS THE SCREENING AND RPT BACK TO ME THE RESULTS. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MGR ON DUTY AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THIS SIT. AFTER THE RE-SCREENING OF THE PAX WAS COMPLETED; THE OPS AGENT WHO WITNESSED THE SCREENING RPTED TO ME THAT THE ARPT SECURITY SCREENERS SAID THAT WHEN THE HAND LUGGAGE IN QUESTION WAS ORIGINALLY SCREENED; THAT SOMETHING LOOKED TO THEM AS IF IT WAS HALF PLASTIC AND HALF METAL; BUT THAT THEY ONLY RANDOMLY SEARCH HAND LUGGAGE AND THAT THIS UNUSUAL ITEM WAS NOT SEARCHED FOR AT THAT TIME. I WANT TO STRESS THAT THE PAX WAS EXTREMELY COOPERATIVE AND IN MY OPINION WAS NOT A THREAT IN ANY WAY. HE HAD SIMPLY MADE A MISTAKE; AND ONCE DISCOVERING IT; WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO CORRECTLY HANDLE IT.