WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. authorities said on Monday a missile launcher was confiscated from a checked bag at an airport near the capital city of Washington, D.C.

Officers at Baltimore/Washington International airport found the launcher during routine screening, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a statement.

The owner of the bag said he was an active military personnel traveling home from Kuwait and he wanted to keep the missile launcher as a souvenir, said the TSA.

"Fortunately the item was not a live device," the TSA said. "It was confiscated and handed over to the state fire marshal for safe disposal. The man was permitted to catch his flight."