American playwright and

Prominent American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris, known for his Tony-nominated “Slave Play” and his role in the Netflix series “Emily in Paris,” was arrested in Japan on suspicion of smuggling the psychedelic drug ecstasy, officials said Saturday.

Officers at Naha Airport on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa arrested Harris on Nov. 16 for allegedly violating customs law for having 0.78 grams, or 0.0275 ounces, of the crystallized drug, also known as MDMA, in a container in a carry-on bag he was carrying, according to Okinawa Regional Customs spokesman Tatsunori Fukuda.

Harris, 36, had left London’s Heathrow Airport two days earlier and had transited through Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport before arriving in Naha for sightseeing, Fukuda said. Okinawa is a popular tourist destination with a mild year-round climate.

Fukuda said Harris was arrested at the scene and taken into custody by Tomishiro police, who filed a criminal complaint with the Naha District Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday for further investigation and possible indictment. News themezone has reached out to Tomishiro police for additional comment.

Japanese authorities did not find any other drugs in his luggage and believe the MDMA was for his personal use. They are still investigating, Fukuda said, adding that it cannot be revealed whether Harris made any comments about the case.

There was no immediate comment from Harris’ representatives. Harris has not commented publicly on her arrest.

News themezone has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Japan for additional comment.

Japanese criminal procedures allow investigators to keep a suspect in custody for up to 23 days before charging, and pretrial detention can be extended if the accused exercises his or her right to remain silent or denies the charges, a practice widely criticized as “hostage justice.”

Those convicted of drug trafficking in Japan can face a prison sentence of several years.

Harris burst onto the arts scene with “Slave Play,” written while he was still a graduate student at the Yale School of Drama. It premiered Off-Broadway in 2018, sparking controversy and even a petition to shut down the production with its provocative mix of race, class and sexual taboos. It transferred to Broadway the following year, earning a Tony nomination for best play, but did not win any awards.

The play returned for a brief run on Broadway in December 2021.

“There haven’t been enough opportunities for us to reflect who we are to the world and to ourselves and reflect on what that reflection means, and that’s what ‘Slave Play’ can do for people,” Harris said. News New York in 2021.

In addition to small acting roles, he made a cameo as himself in a reboot of “Gossip Girl” and was a co-producer on several episodes of the hit HBO series “Euphoria.”