A MAN who imported an assault rifle here was fined $6,000 on Thursday by a district court.

Muhammed Azlan Amat Ali, 23, pleaded guilty to the offence at Singapore Post Parcel Centre at Eunos Road 8 on Sept 10 last year.

The court heard that an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer was screening parcels at the Singapore Post Centre when he noticed a rifle-like item in one of them.

He opened it and found a fully-assembled air rifle and 2,500 pellets inside.

The parcel was addressed to Azlan, who later told police that he bought the item from Bali for about $400.

The scaffolding builder's lawyer, Mr John Abraham, said his client had no sinister motive and bought the item as a display souvenir.

He could have been fined up to $100,000 or three times the value of the goods or up to two years in jail or to both.