Nicki Minaj gets released after reported arrest at Amsterdam Airport

Rapper and singer-songwriter Nicki Minaj was recently released from custody only hours after she was reportedly detained by police in Amsterdam on suspicion of exporting soft drugs, as per BBC.

On Saturday, May 25, the 41-year-old was traveling to Manchester, England, from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. She was going to perform a concert on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour when she was allegedly arrested for "carrying drugs".

Minaj was scheduled to perform at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester but the show was cancelled and has since been postponed for a later undetermined date. Live Action, the organizers of the show, said in a statement:

"Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed. Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced as soon as possible."

The fans were informed of the incident just after 9:30 pm BST. Around the same time, the rapper was expected to come on stage, more than two hours after the doors of the venue opened.

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Nicki Minaj released after alleged arrest in the Netherlands on suspicion of exporting soft drugs

Nicki Minaj was detained on Saturday in an Amsterdam airport and released at about 4 p.m. ET. She was fined and allowed by officials to “continue her journey." The artist posted several updates on her social media accounts about the alleged arrest.

After Nicki Minaj ended her Instagram Live at the Schiphol airport, she posted a video on her Instagram. The clip showed her having a conversation with a man, informing her that her bags needed to be searched. She said:

"The police officer told me we have to also search all the luggage and to search everything. 'I'm so sorry to say that,' the officer told me. But isn't that what you planned on doing from the get-go? Why didn't you guys search it before it went on the plane?"

According to the officials, they informed Nicki Minaj that they did a "random, quick check" before her luggage boarded her private plane. However, the police wanted to do a more in-depth search after she "filmed" the officer.

Nicki Minaj took to X to express that the "soft drugs" found in the luggage were "pre-rolls" of marijuana that belonged to her security, not her. She wrote:

"😩 Now they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls. Keep in mind they took my bags without consent. My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him. Oh yea & the pilot wants me to take my ig post down."

According to the Government of Netherlands website, the possession of “soft drugs” such as Cannabis is illegal in the country. However, under a prosecutorial policy of toleration, individuals carrying small quantities (under 5g) are not prosecuted.

The delay resulted in the cancellation of the rapper's performance in the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The Live Action team reassured fans that the tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled concert. They added:

"Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused."

She was released from the alleged detainment after being fined, according to the authorities. The amount was not released to the media.

Nicki Minaj and her team have not disclosed the new dates for the Manchester concert as of yet. Pink Friday 2 World Tour began on March 1, 2024, in Oakland, United States, and is scheduled to end on July 14, 2024, in Liège, Belgium.