US rapper Lil' Wayne has had drug charges suppressed after a judge ruled police had conducted an illegal search.

The rapper was arrested at a hotel in August 2006 after authorities allegedly discovered unmarked bottles containing hydrocodone and a form of Xanax.

Police also claimed they found a small amount of marijuana during the search.

Yesterday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson dismissed the charges on the grounds that the search had been conducted illegally.

Lil' Wayne's lawyer, William Head, had argued that the rapper wasn't in the room where the arrest was made, according to the Associated Press news agency.

As previously reported, Lil' Wayne is due to go on trial in New York on April 20th on gun charges.

The charges relate to a seperate incident.

(by Jason Gregory)