Nicki Minaj was not arrested because of her race, Dutch police say

Nicki Minaj's claim that her recent arrest was racially motivated has been refuted by Dutch police.

THE SAI reports that police released a statement on Friday (May 30) claiming that the “Starships” rapper's arrest was a routine operation and would have been carried out regardless of her fame or race.

“It’s annoying if she experienced it this way,” a representative of the Amsterdam police told the outlet. “We arrested her when we found dozens of joints in her luggage. The woman was released four hours after her arrest in agreement with the prosecutor and after paying a fine. I think everything went very well. It's annoying that she pulled that card.

A Dutch police spokesperson also told BBC: “We're just doing our job, and it's protocol to search luggage and arrest a person when we find drugs. The arrest took place around 5:30 p.m., the release around 9:30 p.m. We stand for a professional organization that treats everyone equally, no matter what.

Nicki Minaj was arrested in the Dutch capital on May 25 on suspicion of “possession of soft drugs” while traveling to Manchester for her Pink Friday 2 tour.

She livestreamed the arrest on social media, with footage showing a member of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee telling her she was under arrest for “transporting drugs.”

Speaking to fans on livestreaming platform Stationhead, the Young Money rapper slammed the “disgusting” treatment she received during her arrest and suggested race played a role in the incident.

“Not being able to go to Manchester, I don't know when the last time I felt this down,” she said, referring to her canceled show in the British city following her arrest.

“Not only that, but knowing that something is being done to you on purpose just because you are another confident race. […] There was a lady there – all the others were men – and I could tell she had a heart. The treatment was simply disgusting and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

When asked by another person on the channel if the Dutch authorities were treating her like a “human,” she replied: “No. When they issued the press release announcing my release, I was still in the building. Maybe they were trying to limit the damage, I don't know.