they just were taking the piss and didn’t notice at the time.
From my experience carrying (accidentally and on purpose) various verboten objects through airport security, they don’t understand drugs beyond “a baggie of white powder”, they think flammables and explosives necessarily look like a computer or phone, scanners can usually be defeated by turning objects sideways, and you can carry pretty much anything you want through on your body if you leave your belt on then act like you just remembered about it when the beeper goes.
From my experience carrying (accidentally and on purpose) various verboten objects through airport security, they don’t understand drugs beyond “a baggie of white powder”, they think flammables and explosives necessarily look like a computer or phone, scanners can usually be defeated by turning objects sideways, and you can carry pretty much anything you want through on your body if you leave your belt on then act like you just remembered about it when the beeper goes.
They hardly use metal detectors now. Its 90% xray body scanners.