A Ppassenger on Israel's El Al airlines got a complimentary gift on a flight home from Germany -- a pistol that security guards slipped into his suitcase, an Israeli newspaper has reported.

El Al personnel, the Haaretz daily reported Sunday, sometimes sneak fake guns into the bags of unwitting passengers to see if security staff can spot them. One replica went undetected and was found by the startled passenger when he unpacked at home.

Haaretz said he alerted the police and was told it was an inoperable weapon used by El Al security in training exercises.

A spokeswoman for El Al, an airline regarded as the world's most security-conscious, declined to confirm or deny the report.

(Shenzhen Daily March 16, 2004)