Nicki Minaj has apologised to fans that were supposed to watch her in action in Manchester in the United Kingdom, after her arrest on drug related charges meant that she missed the performance.
The rapper, 41, was due to play the city’s Co-op Live arena on Saturday, but had to cancel at the last minute after she was held in the Netherlands on suspicion of exporting drugs.
In a statement, Minaj said her performance had been shelved for next Monday due to the arrest, which saw her reportedly held up to five hours by Dutch authorities.
She was fined €350 (£300; $380) by Dutch police and allowed to continue her journey.
“I apologise for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make the June 3rd show. It’ll be really special.”
The rapper posted on X that authorities told her they had found cannabis in her luggage, which she said belonged to her security personnel.
A common misconception outside the Netherlands is that marijuana is legal in the country, home to world-famous coffee shops (which actually sell pot) that are a huge draw for cannabis smokers.
The consumption of small quantities of cannabis is technically illegal but police choose not to enforce the law as part of a tolerance policy in place since the 1970s.
Transporting the drugs to another country is illegal.
