American singer and rapper Nicki Minaj has apologised to fans in Manchester, England after her concert there was cancelled following her arrest for drugs at Schiphol airport.

Minaj, who was over two hours late for her Thursday performance at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome arena, was picked up at the airport shortly before her departure and arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs.

She had a “reasonable number of pre-rolled joints” with her, Dutch border police said in a statement, without naming the singer. The public prosecution department said later she had been carrying 30 to 100 grammes of marijuana. 

She was released from custody at the Schiphol Oost police station at around 21.45 after paying a fine. 

Minaj, 41, said in a long comment on social media that she had been in her jail cell for five to six hours. “They sure did know exactly how to hurt me today but this too, shall pass,” she wrote.

“I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a tkt for this show. Promise.”

Minay, real name Onika Tanya Maraj, live streamed the incident at the airport and claimed the drugs belonged to her security team. Among the footage she shared on Instagram was a post showing a man telling her that police needed to take a closer look at her luggage.

She also appeared to claim the drugs had been planted in her luggage to sabotage the tour.

Marijuana is not legal in the Netherlands but police turn a blind eye to the possession of up to five grammes.