Dutch police have insisted Nicki Minaj’s arrest had nothing to do with her race and it is “upsetting that she pulled that card”.
The rapper, 41, was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport just hours before she was due to go on stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live stadium on Saturday.
The concert was eventually canceled hours after it started and now Minaj’s show in Amsterdam has also been canceled after she was accused of “carrying drugs” in her luggage.
Speaking about her arrest and losing her concert, Minaj suggested it was because she was a “confident other breed.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Dutch military police told broadcaster NOS: “It’s upsetting if she experienced it that way.”
Dutch police have accused Nicki Minaj of “pulling the race card” over her drug arrest (pictured from her Pink Friday 2 world tour at Madison Square Garden)
The rapper, 41, was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport just hours before she was due to go on stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live stadium on Saturday.
They continued: ‘We arrested her when we found dozens of joints in her luggage. Mrs. Ella was released four hours after her arrest, after consulting with the prosecutor and after paying a fine.
‘I think everything went very well. It’s annoying that he pulled that card.
During her livestream, Minaj said: “Not being able to get to Manchester, I don’t know the last time I felt this low, you know? And not only that, but just knowing that something is being done to you on purpose. You’re a safe other race, you know?
‘But I’m not going to go into that and tell you the joy you felt, even while I was there. But you know what?
‘There was a lady there, all the others were men, and I realized she had a heart. But the treatment was simply disgusting. And I don’t wish it on anyone.
A police spokesperson added to BBC News: “We are simply doing our job and it is protocol to search luggage and arrest a person when we find drugs.”
‘The arrest occurred around 5:30 p.m. and the release at 9:30 p.m. “We stand for a professional organization that treats everyone equally, no matter what.”
Minaj was fined 350 euros (£300, $380), they said, adding: “It is illegal to take drugs into another country.”
MailOnline has contacted Minaj’s representatives and Dutch police for comment.
Minaj suggested in a series of social media posts that the arrest in Amsterdam was “part of a plot to sabotage her tour” (pictured March 30).
Minaj took to the stage in Manchester on Thursday night after her fans began queuing outside the Co-op Live area from 4am, but thousands more were left disappointed when the star’s Amsterdam show was canceled after his drug arrest.
“Due to the events of last week, Nicki Minaj’s show on Sunday, June 2 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam will no longer take place,” concert promoters MOJO said.
“Tickets will be refunded at the point of sale,” it added on its website, but gave no further details.
Minaj posted on social media platform X on Saturday that authorities “said they found marijuana” in her luggage shortly before takeoff.
The rapper claimed that the ‘pre-rolls’ belonged to her security guard and that her bags had been searched ‘without consent’.
The delay caused Minaj to miss her performance in Manchester, but she said she would return for a second concert in the city on May 30, her next performance.
Minaj suggested in a series of social media posts that the arrest in Amsterdam was “part of a plot to sabotage her tour.”
A common misconception outside the Netherlands is that cannabis is legal in the country, home to world-famous cafes that sell the drug and attract many tourists.
Cannabis use is technically illegal, but police choose not to enforce the law in small quantities as part of a “tolerance” policy in place since the 1970s.
Transporting any drug to another country is illegal.
Known for her neon costumes and wigs, Minaj, whose hits include Starships, Bang Bang and Anaconda, is considered one of the most influential female artists in rap.
Ahead of her concert in Manchester, the Co-op Live stadium was lit up with pictures of Nicki as fans arrived.
Minaj, 41, was seen for the first time since her drugs arrest in Amsterdam when she arrived in the UK on Saturday.
Minaj was initially scheduled to perform to a packed audience in Manchester on May 25 and 30, making her the first rapper to sell out two shows at the venue.
Their rescheduled performance will take place on June 3.
Sharing the news on
‘So JUNE 3rd is the new official date for all ticket holders who originally had tickets to the #Manchester show on MAY 25th.
‘I apologize for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make it to the show on JUNE #3. It will be really special. Ticketmaster will contact you to officially advise you. I love you.’
Nicki said she spent around six hours in custody at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Saturday before being able to fly to the UK.
The American singer had livestreamed her arrest in the Netherlands at around 4pm after police detained her on suspicion of exporting soft drugs as she prepared to fly to Britain after “weed” was allegedly found. in your luggage.
An hour and a half later, Co-op Live tweeted that the doors to their Manchester show would open at 7pm and fans would enter, despite the R&B star not being released from custody until around 8: 55 p.m.
She was later seen arriving in Manchester on Saturday night after devastated fans were sent home.
Angry fans at the Co-Op Live stadium were told by security guards that the singer was in the building when she was actually in police custody in the Netherlands.
Bosses’ late decision on the newly built arena sparked a backlash as fans questioned why the ‘cursed’ venue allowed them to come in and spend money even though the show didn’t go ahead.
But representatives of the embattled £365 million stadium, which opened late this month after being plagued by setbacks, said they were allowing people in to “ensure the safety and well-being of fans while they await updates”.