A new multi-user detection technique that utilizes only the micro genetic algorithm (µGA) is developed. In contrast to previous approaches, the micro-genetic algorithm is not hybridized with any detector other than a conventional detector (CD) or a decorrelator as an initial stage. The use of this algorithm considerably reduces the number of operations as well as the total cost of the proposed detector. A 5-user DS-CDMA system is adopted to examine the performance of the µGA detector. Using computer simulations, it is shown that the proposed µGA receiver achieves a performance close to the optimal detector as measured by the bit-error-rate (BER). This performance is achieved at a much lower computational time compared to the optimal detector. The potential of the µGA detector as a suboptimal DS-CDMA multi-user detector is thus demonstrated.