Nicki Minaj Arrested and Fined at Amsterdam Airport Over Weed Possession
Nicki Minaj Arrested and Fined at Amsterdam Airport Over Weed Possession
Rapper Nicki Minaj was briefly detained and fined at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Saturday after officials allegedly found “soft drugs” in her luggage, according to Dutch authorities.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Dutch national police agency, announced on social media Saturday night that a 41-year-old American woman was arrested on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. She was fined and released after officials consulted with local prosecutors. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.
Although Dutch police did not name Minaj as the suspect, the rapper posted a video on social media detailing the incident. In the video, she explains that police informed her that marijuana was allegedly found in her bags and that it needed to be weighed.
Minaj’s video also shows a man in a suit informing her that police intended to “search all her luggage.”
“The police officer told me we have to offload all your luggage, and to search everything of your luggage,” the man, who was not immediately identified, says in the video.
“…He (a police officer) doesn’t believe you don’t have more with you than you said,” the man can also be heard saying.
Cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but its recreational use is tolerated.
In the video, officers can be heard informing Minaj that she was “under arrest” for “carrying drugs” and instructing her to get into a van to be taken to the police station.
View this post on Instagram
Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, denied the accusations and repeatedly asked for a lawyer before complying and getting into the van.
Before Minaj’s release, Robert Kapel, a spokesperson for the military police, informed AFP that an “interrogation is still ongoing.”
A representative for Minaj and the Amsterdam police did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
Minaj was in Amsterdam for a show at Ziggo Dome on Thursday. She was en route to Manchester, England, for another show scheduled for Saturday night as part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour when the arrest occurred. The Manchester venue, Co-op Live, announced that Saturday’s performance was postponed due to the incident.
“Despite Nikki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible,” Co-op Live stated in a social media post.
In a series of posts on X, Minaj claimed the arrest was an attempt to “sabotage my tour.”
“They’re being paid big money to try to sabotage my tour b/c soooooo many ppl are mad that it’s this successful & they can’t eat off me. They got caught stealing money from my travel/jets. Got fired. Got mad. Etc,” she said.
Stay Connected With All About The Tea: Twitter Ι Instagram Ι YouTube Ι Facebook Ι Send Us Tips
Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.