SINGAPORE — A suspicious parcel delivered to Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon contained a piece of meat that “appears to be pork” at first glance, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said on Thursday.

As reported by CNA, authorities are still verifying the type of meat, but the incident is being treated as serious due to its inflammatory nature.

“But if it is pork and it's sent to a mosque, you can see the implications. It's much worse. Whatever the motive, this is playing with fire,” Shanmugam was reported as saying.

The minister, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, stressed that police are investigating the matter and will act firmly against those found responsible.

He revealed that this was not the first such incident, stating there have been “other similar cases” involving meat sent to mosques, though he did not provide further details.

“We will do whatever we can to ensure that our places of worship remain safe,” he added.

The Singapore Police Force was alerted to the incident on Wednesday evening, prompting a coordinated response with the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

As a safety measure, the mosque was evacuated and the parcel examined.

Police presence at mosques has since been increased, with more frequent visits expected to continue.