Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris could face years behind bars for drug smuggling, after MDMA was allegedly found in his baggage last month on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
The 36-year-old scribe behind “Slave Play” was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act after a Naha Airport customs officer found the drug — within 0.78 grams of crystal — in Harris’ tote bag on Nov. 16, a spokesperson for Okinawa Regional Customs told Reuters Thursday evening.
As of Thursday, local officials are looking to formally charge Harris, who is reportedly still in custody in Tomigusuku, a city on the island, which houses American military bases.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Jeremy O. Harris is pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in May. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
If convicted, the “Zola” screenwriter could face up to seven years behind bars in Japan, per The New York Times.
Japan has very strict laws surrounding narcotics and even legal prescription drugs. Per the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan, a slew of “common medications and over-the-counter drugs” in America are banned in Japan, even if one has a “valid U.S. prescription” for the substance. Those who still bring the medications or drugs into Japan “risk arrest and detention by the Japanese authorities.”
Japanese government approval, which can take weeks, is required for those who need to bring more than the approved quantity of certain medication or medical devices.
A representative for Harris did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.
Harris, also known for on-screen roles in the “Gossip Girl” reboot and “Emily in Paris,” is not the first international celebrity to find himself in the crosshairs of Japan’s strict drug laws — which still pale in comparison to the drug-related death penalties in Singapore and China.
Paul McCartney, for instance, was banned from Japan in the 1980s after marijuana was found in his baggage.
