New York/Las Vegas, Aug 28 (IANS/DPA): US socialite Paris Hilton has been arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine and briefly booked into a detention centre, local media reports said Saturday.

The New York Daily News reported that police found an unspecified quantity of the drug in the heiress' purse during a search of a vehicle in which she was a passenger late Friday.

According to broadcaster CBS, officers detected the smell of marijuana from the car window before stopping the car.

Hilton was taken into custody but released in the early morning hours Saturday from the Clark County Detention Centre, according to the report.

A legal expert quoted by CBS said the 29-year-old glamour girl, who was jailed in 2007 for alcohol-related reckless driving, could face another spell behind bars if convicted.

Hilton made headlines last week after an incident at her home in which she was awoken by a armed intruder. The man was arrested and is to face charges that could carry a sentence of up to to six years in prison if convicted.

Hilton was arrested during the World Cup in South Africa, on suspicion of possession of marijuana possession. The case was dropped a few hours later.