Local authorities reported late on Thursday that American actor and writer Jeremy O. Harris, well known for the Tony-nominated “Slave Play,” was detained last month at a Japanese airport on suspicion of trying to import illegal substances into the nation.
According to an Okinawa Regional Customs spokeswoman, Harris, 36, was detained on November 16 at Naha Airport on Okinawa island when a customs officer found 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic drug MDMA in his tote bag.
On suspicion of breaking Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act, he was taken into custody right away. In order to initiate formal charges against Harris, local customs officers submitted a criminal accusation to the regional prosecutor’s office on Thursday.
An official with a police station in Tomigusuku city in southern Okinawa confirmed that Harris remains in custody. The official declined to comment on whether Harris has admitted to the allegations.
Harris’ representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was unclear whether he has retained legal representation in Japan.
Harris had arrived in Okinawa for sightseeing purposes, traveling from Britain via Taiwan, where he had a flight layover, the customs spokesperson said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination known for its beaches and American military bases.
Japan maintains strict drug laws with severe penalties for possession and smuggling offenses. The country has some of the toughest narcotics regulations among developed nations, with even small amounts of illegal substances resulting in criminal prosecution. Punishments, however, are not as harsh as in other Asian countries such as China and Singapore, where drug offenders can face the death penalty.
Foreigners arrested in recent years in Japan for suspected drug offenses include former Australian rugby league player Blake Ferguson in December 2021. In 1980, former Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested after arriving in Tokyo with a bag of marijuana and was banned from entering Japan for years.