Rapper Nicki Minaj was briefly arrested and fined on Saturday at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport after Dutch authorities found “soft drugs” in her luggage. According to the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the 41-year-old American was detained on suspicion of attempting to export soft drugs. She was subsequently fined and released after consultation with local prosecutors, though the exact fine amount was not disclosed.
While Dutch authorities did not initially confirm Minaj’s identity, the rapper posted a video on her social media accounts detailing the incident. In the video, she explained that police told her they had found marijuana in her bags, which had to be weighed. Minaj’s video also shows a man in a suit explaining that her luggage would be thoroughly searched.
“The police officer told me we have to offload all your luggage, and to search everything,” the man said. He added that the officer did not believe she was only carrying the amount of marijuana she had mentioned.
Cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but it is tolerated for recreational use under certain conditions. Minaj was in the country following a performance at Ziggo Dome on Thursday as part of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, and was on her way to Manchester for another show that same evening.
Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, was told she was under arrest for carrying drugs. She denied the accusations and repeatedly requested a lawyer before being escorted to a van to be taken to the police station.
The incident led to the postponement of her scheduled performance in Manchester that evening, with the venue, Co-op Live, announcing the cancellation via social media. In a series of posts on X, Minaj suggested the arrest was part of a larger scheme to sabotage her tour. She claimed that some individuals were “mad” about the success of her tour and had ulterior motives to derail it.
Minaj’s team and the Amsterdam police have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the arrest.
