A Barbadian man has been arrested at John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York after allegedly trying to board a flight with a powerful handgun concealed in his carry-on luggage.

A statement on the website of the US Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) does not name the individual in question but says that he was arrested at JFK on Monday, September 9, TSA officers found the gun among his carry-on items at one of the airport checkpoints.

The statement says the .40 caliber handgun was accompanied by 20 loose bullets and was wrapped in what appeared to be some sort of fiberglass inside a case covered in what appeared to be some sort of tar.

The TSA says that when officers spotted the gun, they contacted the Port Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and detained the man, a resident of Barbados, for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges.

Barbadian authorities have been trying to stem the flow of firearms into the island in the wake of an increase in gun violence and police officials have suggested that the weapons were being smuggled through the ports of entry.

Recently, a firearm was discovered in a package that was air freighted into Barbados using one of the major international courier companies.

Additional scanners have also been installed at the Bridgetown Port to check incoming cargo for contraband. (FOXNEWS)