A Dutch actor arrested for drug dealing has claimed that large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy found at her rental flat were “an experiment” to help her prepare for a TV role.

Imanuelle Grives, a 34-year-old who has worked in TV and film, was stopped by police at the Belgian electronic music festival Tomorrowland, where she was found to be carrying a large quantity of drugs, according to prosecutors. A later search of an Airbnb property she was renting in the area revealed more than 20g of cocaine, about 100 ecstasy pills, ketamine and MDMA.

Stéphanie Chomé of the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office told Belgian media that the ketamine and MDMA were found in such quantities that they could only be intended for sale.

Grives appeared before a magistrate on Monday on suspicion of trafficking and possession of psychotropic substances. Two other suspects arrested with her were later released.

But a lawyer for the actor claimed the large amounts of drugs were an “experiment” for a new TV show. “I thought it was an unlikely story at first,” the unnamed lawyer told the Belgian daily De Morgen. The lawyer said Grives really wanted to understand what it was like to sell drugs at a music festival in preparation for a TV show. The show has not been named.

“She now realises it was a very stupid action,” the lawyer said, adding that her case was very different from “standard” drug dealers or people addicted to drugs. “We hope that the judge will also find her story plausible and hopefully it will all turn out better than expected.”

Grives is due to appear before a judge on Friday.

She is well known to Dutch-speaking TV viewers for her role in the long-running show Maastricht Cops (Flikken Maastricht) and the 2012 Belgian comedy-drama Only Decent People.