A debt collector who inserted three bundles of drugs into his body was jailed and ordered to be caned on Wednesday.

Mohamed Nizar Mohamed Razali, 41, was given 10 years behind bars and six strokes of the cane for importing five packets containing 115.25g of Ice - the street name for methamphetamine - at Woodlands checkpoint on Dec 17 last year.

He was sentenced to another 10 years and six strokes for taking drugs outside Singapore.

Both sentences are concurrent, which means he will serve 10 years and get 12 strokes of the cane.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Faizal Nooraznan said Nizar had been arrested by Cenral Narcotics Bureau officers that day on suspicion of taking and importing controlled drugs.

After a strip search, he was taken to Alexandra Hospital where an X-ray showed three bundles in his pelvic area. Nizar admitted the bundles contained Ice.

Mr Muhammad Faizal said Nizar had bought the drugs from a Malaysian supplier for $4,000 on Dec 14.

He had wrapped the drugs into three separate bundles with tissue paper and taped them. Then he put the bundle into a piece of condom and tied it tightly before pushing each of the three condoms into his body.

Investigation also showed that Nizar smoked Ice at his rented flat in Johor on Dec 16.

He could have been jailed for up to 30 years and caned 15 times for drug importation.