SINGAPORE, Sept 11 — A ship crew member hid an African elephant tusk inside a modified thermos flask in an attempt to smuggle it into Singapore, despite knowing that possessing ivory without a permit was illegal, The Straits Times reported.

The 30-year-old Indonesian man, Hafiludin, who goes by one name, was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail on Sept 10 for attempting to smuggle the tusk into the country.

National Parks Board (NParks) prosecutor Lim Chong Hui told the court that Hafiludin bought the tusk for US$150 (S$190) from a travelling merchant while his ship was docked in Lagos, Nigeria, in December 2025.

The tusk was a specimen regulated under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, and Hafiludin did not have the required permits or licences to import it into Singapore, the prosecutor said.

According to the report, aware of Singapore’s laws, Hafiludin decided to conceal the tusk inside a thermos flask, which he sawed open to accommodate the item.

The tusk was about 27cm long and weighed around 550g. He then placed the flask inside his luggage.

The ship entered Singapore’s waters on Aug 8, its last port of call before returning to Indonesia.

Hafiludin disembarked with his luggage the following day at about 12.15pm through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) Keppel entrance crew office.

His luggage was subjected to a routine X-ray scan as part of security screening, which led to the discovery of the tusk inside the flask.

Hafiludin initially claimed the tusk was a “cigar-shaped apparatus” made of plastic and used for smoking. The case was subsequently referred to NParks and he was later charged in court, The Straits Time reported.