Playwright Jeremy O Harris arrested in Japan for alleged drug smuggling | Jeremy O Harris
American actor and playwright Jeremy O’Harris, known for the Tony-nominated Slave Play, was arrested at an airport in Japan last month on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, local authorities said late Thursday.
Harris, 36, was stopped at Naha airport on Okinawa island on Nov. 16 after a customs officer found 0.78 grams of crystals containing the synthetic drug MDMA in his bag, an Okinawa regional customs spokesman said.
He was immediately arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropic Control Act. Local customs officials filed charges with the district attorney’s office on Thursday to begin formal criminal proceedings against Harris.
An official from the police station in Tomigusuku, a city in southern Okinawa, confirmed that Harris remains in custody. The official declined to comment on whether Harris admitted to the allegations.
Representatives for Harris did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was unclear whether she maintains legal representation in Japan.
A Customs spokesman said Harris came to Okinawa for sightseeing purposes, traveling from the UK via Taiwan and having a flight layover there. Okinawa, about 1,500 km (932 mi) southwest of Tokyo, is a popular resort town known for its beaches and the United States. military bases.
Japan has strict drug laws that impose harsh penalties for possession and trafficking. The country has some of the strictest narcotics regulations among developed countries; Even small amounts of illegal substances lead to criminal prosecution. However, penalties are not as harsh as in other Asian countries. Chinese And SingaporeWhere drug offenders can face the death penalty.
Former Australian among foreigners arrested on suspicion of drug offenses in Japan in recent years 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.
Harris is also known for her acting role on the TV series Emily in Paris and producing the HBO drama series Euphoria.
