Harvey Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan claims arrest warrant for narcotics possession meant to 'silence' her

An arrest warrant has been issued for Rose McGowan regarding possession of narcotics. According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department, on arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on 20 January, the actress left behind luggage that later tested positive for drugs.

McGowan has been at the forefront of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, after accusing the executive producer of raping her in 1997 following which the two parties reached a $100,000 (£75,770) settlement. She later claimed to be offered $1m to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Suggesting that Weinstein's team is now switching from honey to vinegar, the 44-year-old hinted that the arrest warrant is an attempt to stop her from talking further.

"Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSES**T," she tweeted on 30 October.

The authorities on their part explained that the arrest warrant was obtained on 1 February and since then they have been attempting to get in touch with McGowan so that she can appear in court.

"Her personal belongings that were left behind from a flight arriving on Jan. 20 tested positive for narcotics," Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department told Deadline. "Police have made efforts to reach out to Ms. McGowan through her representatives to make her aware of the warrant. She has not been served."

He added that airport police "have been issued a bench warrant and entered it into a national law enforcement database".

"If she were to have an encounter with a police officer somewhere and they were to run a records check this would come up. And if they made an arrest they would refer that case back to us through the court system," he said, according to Radar Online.