A Pembroke man caught with 1.99 grammes of cocaine has been fined $1,500.

Dahlano Simons admitted having the drug on him at the Bermuda Bistro at the Beach in Pembroke on June 3.

Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday that police approached the 29-year-old after they were alerted to a short black male suspected of selling drugs on the porch of the restaurant.

Simons was taken to Hamilton Police Station where officers found a clear plastic bag containing five twists of white powder in his boxers.

The white powder was analysed and found to contain 55 per cent cocaine.

Simons, who has similar previous convictions, told the court that he had been dealing with family problems at the time and the drugs were for his personal use.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo handed him a $1,000 fine and because cocaine is a Schedule 5 drug, increased this by 50 per cent to a total of $1,500.

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