HONG KONG, Nov 3 — A 61-year-old man has been arrested over the suspected drugging of former Japanese adult film star-turned-DJ Mao Hamasaki at a Hong Kong nightclub, where she reportedly suffered paralysis and convulsions before being rushed to intensive care.

Hamasaki, 33, who performs as DJ Mao, fell seriously ill after consuming a drink during a private Halloween event in Tsim Sha Tsui early Sunday.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and The Standard, police arrested the man in Central yesterday following an investigation into the incident at PP Club on Mody Road.

He remains in custody on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure.

Hamasaki, discharged from Queen Elizabeth Hospital yesterday afternoon, has since described noticing cloudy sediment in her drinks but dismissing it as fruit pulp.

In a Japanese-language post on X, she recalled drinking two small orange-flavoured cocktails before taking to the DJ booth.

About 40 minutes to an hour later, her memories became hazy and her eyes felt unusually dry.

After raising another glass with a customer during her set, her body suddenly stiffened, leaving her unable to move her arms or legs before she lost consciousness.

Her next clear memory was waking up in an ambulance. She later learnt she had suffered convulsions.

According to The Standard, Hamasaki had earlier performed in Wan Chai before heading to the Tsim Sha Tsui venue with her 44-year-old manager, surnamed Mak.

The newspaper reported that a stranger approached her around 3.30am and offered her orange juice.

Her manager subsequently noticed white powdery residue at the bottom of a glass and sought help when she became seriously unwell.

Police received a report at around 4.57am that a female DJ had fallen ill after consuming a drink at the venue.

Hamasaki was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and admitted to intensive care.

Her manager told Hong Kong media that urine tests had returned positive results for four drugs, a finding Hamasaki also mentioned in her account.

However, no independently verified toxicology report has been made public.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Hamasaki said she had experienced the “terror and harm” of drugs first-hand, according to an English translation of her Japanese statement reported by SCMP.

She also said doctors had warned that her condition was dangerous.

“My consciousness is completely clear, and I am steadily recovering,” she wrote on X yesterday, according to SCMP.

Hong Kong news outlet HK01 reported that Hamasaki left hospital with her manager yesterday afternoon. Asked about her condition, she replied “OK”, thanked reporters and made an OK hand gesture.

Her manager later said they had visited a police station to assist investigators.

Hamasaki has since urged nightclub-goers to watch their drinks and replace beverages left unattended. She said she would refrain from further public comments while cooperating with police.

Police have yet to establish publicly how the suspected substances entered her drink.

Hamasaki retired from the Japanese adult film industry in 2024 and has since pursued a DJ career in Hong Kong, where she has also appeared in a television drama.