Soh Chun Kiat, 24, a part-time real estate agent, pleaded guilty earlier to bringing in the gun without any licence at Changi Airport on Aug 21 this year.

A district court heard that he was found with the item by an airport police officer when he arrived from Bangkok that morning.

A second charge of having a nanchaku was taken into consideration.

He could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to three years or both for the offence.

He has previous convictions in 2004 for unrelated offences.