club was yesterday fined $500 in Magistrates' Court.

Maxwell Mustafa Smith was fined $200 for having the pipe and $300 for obstructing Police after it took six officers to subdue him at Southampton Rangers Sports Club last March.

The fine came just days after politicians clashed about drugs use at sports clubs and allegations by Opposition MP Tim Smith that the clubs benefit from the drugs trade.

Senior Magistrate Will Francis heard yesterday that Police, "acting on information received'', went to the Southampton Rangers Club to investigate drug use on March 19.

They saw Smith, 27, of Riviera Estate, walking across the grounds of the club at 10.45 p.m.

Junior Crown counsel Cindy Clark told Mr. Francis officers followed Smith and found him in a stairwell. Police noted Smith was "fidgety and appeared to be nervous''.

They found the bottle cap to a Chivas Regal scotch whisky miniature bottle in his pocket.

On the ground before him there was a still warm miniature Chivas bottle which was later found to have traces of cocaine in it.

Smith told Police: "Yes, it's mine. I was getting high.'' When Police tried to arrest him, Smith became aggressive and pushed a female officer and ran away.

When he was caught he became increasingly hostile. It took six officers to subdue him.