Nicki Minaj arrested in Amsterdam, claims officials ‘took my bags without consent’

Nicki Minaj was arrested in Amsterdam on May 25, 2024, while on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour. The arrest occurred at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where Dutch authorities claimed to have found “soft drugs” in her luggage. Minaj documented much of the experience on her social media, including footage of her being placed in a police vehicle holding cell.

In a video she shared on Instagram Live, Minaj spoke with a policeman who claimed that she was in possession of drugs. She was scheduled to appear in Manchester at Co-Op Live as part of her tour, but the event was postponed in the wake of the arrest. Minaj took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the situation in real time, stating that her bags were searched without her consent and that the incident was an attempt to sabotage her tour.

Dutch police did not name Minaj as the suspect in question, but the rapper posted video to social media of the ordeal. In the video, police officers could be heard telling Minaj that she was “under arrest” for “carrying drugs,” before asking her to get in a van to go to the police station.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Dutch national police agency, posted on social media that a 41-year-old American woman who was arrested on suspicion of exporting soft drugs was fined and released from custody after officials consulted with local prosecutors. The agency did not name Minaj directly, but the details align with the rapper’s account of events.

Minaj is currently on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, which is scheduled to continue through Europe through July.