Singapore  - A student was fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,300 US dollars) for smuggling a two-month-old puppy from Malaysia to Singapore, news reports said on Thursday.

Liu Liangwu, 21, was fined the maximum amount for importing an animal without a licence.

Liu, who had no previous criminal record, is only the third person since 2001 to be prosecuted for animal smuggling. He escaped a jail sentence.

A customs officer was checking Liu's car on December 24 when he felt something furry hidden in a closed compartment under the driver's seat, a district court heard on Wednesday.

Liu told the officer he purchased the chihuahua for 615 Singapore dollars from a pet shop in Johor because he could not find any chihuahuas in Singapore, The Straits Times reported.

Pressing for a stiff sentence, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) officer Yap Teck Chuan said unlicensed dogs and cats have the potential to trigger an outbreak of rabies.

The disease has not been detected in the city-state since 1953 but is common in neighbouring countries.

Defence lawyer Khoo Aik Yeow was quoted as saying his client has been "living in fear and anxiety" since being charged.

The AVA said the puppy has been quarantined. If healthy, the dog will be put up for adoption. (dpa)