FREELANCE HOMELAND SECURITY? Sounds like it:

DALLAS, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — While performing maintenance on an aircraft lavatory in New Orleans last evening, several items were discovered in a lavatory compartment. The items, inside a small plastic bag, included a small number of boxcutters and other items intended to simulate a threat.

A similar discovery was made in Houston last night on another aircraft during a scheduled maintenance inspection (C check).

A note in both packages indicated the items were intended to challenge the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint security procedures.

It’s not clear who left them.

UPDATE: It’s not clear, but that’s not stopping the conspiracy theorists! Michele Catalano has links.

ANOTHER UPDATE: There’s a suspect now.