Minaj in racism row with police over drugs arrest

Dutch police have said Nicki Minaj's race played no part in her drugs arrest last weekend, and that it was "annoying that she drew that card".

The US rapper was arrested last weekend at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and fined after police said they found "dozens of joints in her luggage".

She said her treatment had been "just disgusting", which she suggested was partly because she was from "a confident other race".

Meanwhile, her latest concert in the city has been cancelled "due to the events of last week", its promoter has said.

She was arrested on Saturday by military police in Amsterdam, where she had started her European tour, before being fined and released.

The delay forced her to postpone that night's show in Manchester at the last minute.

'Disgusting' treatment

"Not being able to get to Manchester, I don't know when was the last time I felt that that low, you know?" she told fans on livestreaming platform Stationhead earlier this week.

"And not only that, but just knowing that that something is being done to you on purpose. You are a confident other race, you know?

"But I'm not going to get into it and tell you guys the joy they took in it, even while I was there. But you know what? There was one lady there - all the rest were men - and I could tell she had a heart.

"But the treatment was just disgusting. And I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

'Dozens of joints'

In response, the Dutch military police spokesperson told broadcaster NOS: "It's annoying if she experienced it that way.

"We arrested her when we found dozens of joints in her luggage. The lady was released four hours after arrest in consultation with the public prosecutor, and after paying a fine.

"I think that It all went very smoothly. It's annoying that she drew that card."

A police spokesperson told BBC News: "We just do our job and it is protocol to search luggage and arrest a person when we find drugs.

"The arrest was around 17.30, the release at 21.30. We stand for a professional organisation that treats everybody equal, no matter what."

Minaj was fined 350 euros (£300, $380), they said, adding: "It is illegal to take drugs to another country."

At the time, Dutch prosecutors told local media she had been carrying 30 to 100 grams of cannabis - but Minaj claimed "the pre-rolls" belonged to her security guard.

Her release did not come in time for her to make the concert at Manchester's Co-op Live arena on Saturday, where about 20,000 fans were waiting for her to perform.

That show was postponed to Monday, 3 June.

Her tour included two Manchester dates, with the other show going ahead as planned on Thursday, 30 May.

Since leaving the Netherlands, she has also played in Birmingham, London and Glasgow.

She had been due to return to Amsterdam on Sunday, 2 June, but promoter Mojo said that would now not happen.

The police spokesperson said the case was closed, and no further action would be taken against her if she returned to the country.