SINGAPORE - A man was fined $900 after a foiled attempt to smuggle contraband cigarettes stuffed into his pants at the Woodlands Checkpoint on Sunday (Oct 7).

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that officers had noticed an unusual bulge at the waist of the 39-year-old Malaysian work permit holder.

Officers later found four packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden under his clothes, along his waistline, and another packet in his bag.

ICA said this method of concealment is a cause of concern, as similar methods could be used to smuggle items that pose a security threat to Singapore.

The case is the second reported foiled smuggling attempt to have happened at Woodlands Checkpoint on Sunday.

ICA had said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that a 56-year-old Malaysian work permit holder was thwarted in his attempt to smuggle six packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes. The man was fined $1,800 for the offence.