PEOPLE arriving at airports expect to be greeted by the loving arms of family ... not federal officers.

Casually strolling through duty free at Brisbane International Airport, just like any other holiday shopper, Rockhampton's Scott Keato was greeted by an army of blue-collared feds and customs officers who awaited his arrival.

He knows, after passing through three international airports - France, Dubai and Singapore - why he's a wanted man: he has four replica flintlock muskets in his bag he knowingly smuggled into Australia.

But he wasn't trying to break the law.

His journey started in France, where he bought four replica guns from a medieval shop in Paris for his workmate who collects them.

He told The Morning Bulletin yesterday after arriving back in the city on Tuesday that he bought the items as a gift for his workmate.

He and his family left France by Euro train to the United Kingdom and it is at the Paris train station he does the unthinkable.

"I carried my luggage, containing the four pistols at the top of my bag, with me on to the train," he said.

"They X-rayed my bag but it went straight through the machine ... they didn't even pull me up.

"I had the guns at the top of the bag in case they asked me to remove them from my bag. I didn't want to pull all my stuff out to take them out from the bottom."

Upon their return to France days later, they were stopped by security and customs at the London train station where they arrived.

It was here officers tried to allege Scott was smuggling the replica guns into Europe.

Receipt in hand, Keaton presented the docket he received for the purchase to the officers, who insisted he bought them from London and tried to smuggle them into France.

"They kept saying no we don't believe you.

"When I gave them the receipt they said we can't believe you managed to carry four guns into the country."

The plot thickens.

On a flight to Dubai, he said his luggage was transferred to the next plane, which was destined for Singapore.

As the bag was going through an X-ray machine, customs officers pulled the bag off the conveyor belt, after noticing the mock weapons, and put it to the side, he said.

"The baggage handlers grabbed it again and threw it back onto the trolley with the rest of the gear.

"We were sitting in the plane, the pilot says it's a beautiful day in Singapore then all of a sudden the plane comes to a halt. The pilot then says we have a severe security breach.

"Next minute I see my sister-in-law being escorted off the plane because my baggage is listed under her name. I gave the officers my receipt and she was back on the flight 20 minutes later."

The second-to-last leg home to Brisbane proved the icing on the cake.

"They [customs and federal officers] were waiting for me just on the other side of duty free.

"They said to me are you Mr Keato and took me in for questioning.

"Then the woman says to me we are going to have to seize these items I said you can take them."

Mr Keato has since completed all the requirements to have the guns returned.