American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, known for the Tony-nominated Slave Play, was arrested last month at an airport in Japan on suspicion of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, local authorities said late on Thursday.

Harris, 36, was stopped on 16 November at Naha airport on Okinawa island after a customs officer discovered 0.78 grams of crystal containing the synthetic drug MDMA in his tote bag, an Okinawa regional customs spokesperson said.

He was immediately arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act. Local customs officials filed a criminal accusation with the regional prosecutor’s office on Thursday to begin formal charging proceedings against Harris.

An official with a police station in Tomigusuku, a city in southern Okinawa, confirmed that Harris remains in custody. The official declined to comment on whether Harris has admitted to the allegations.

Harris’s 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, travelling from Britain via Taiwan, where he had a flight layover, the customs spokesperson said. Okinawa is a popular resort destination about 1,500km (932 miles) south-west of Tokyo, known for its beaches and US military bases.

Japan maintains strict drug laws with severe penalties for possession and smuggling offences. 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 offences 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.

Harris is also known for his acting role in Emily in Paris and for producing the HBO drama series Euphoria.