Palm Beach Post
Oct 1 2004

PBIA passenger arrested with 10 knives

By ANDREW MARRA
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

A California man was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport
Thursday night after he attempted to board a plane with 10 knives in
his carry-on bag, authorities said.

Two long knives and eight pocketknives were stashed in 29-year-old
Vardan Garibyan’s luggage as he placed it into a metal detector about
5:15 p.m., according to officials.

He was arrested on charges of carrying concealed weapons and
violating a security directive after a baggage screener for the
federal Transportation Security Administration discovered the knives.

Garibyan, an Armenian citizen with a lengthy arrest record in
California, will be deported to Armenia when the state charges
against him have been resolved, according to U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement. An agency spokeswoman would not say whether he
is believed to be in the country illegally.

The discovery of the knives did not cause any airport delays,PBIA
spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda said. Garibyan, who was bound for
California, was arrested without incident by the Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Diane Carhart said the number of weapons
found in Garibyan’s bag was unusual but that he was not believed to
have terrorist ties.

It was unclear Friday why Garibyan was carrying the knives.

“We know that he definitely had knowledge that he had these weapons,”
Carhart said. “It wasn’t like a nail file.”