Key facts
- Criminal gangs are using Airbnb-type rentals as stash houses for drugs, money, and weapons.
- Belgium's national drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch, stated that the flexibility of short-term booking platforms aids organised crime.
- Authorities seized 3.3kg of cocaine and €4,845 from an Airbnb rental in Brussels.
- In a separate case in 2024, drugs worth €21m were seized from an Airbnb rental in Staden.
- Airbnb stated that criminal bookings are a minority and that the company uses AI to detect suspicious activity.
- Van Wymersch warned that Belgium risks becoming a narco state if current trends continue.
Criminal gangs are increasingly utilizing short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb, as stash houses for illicit activities, according to Belgium's national drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch. She highlighted that the flexibility of these platforms, combined with booming e-commerce and parcel delivery services, significantly aids organised crime.
Van Wymersch explained that criminals exploit the ease of booking short-term rentals for periods as short as three days, allowing them to adapt to unpredictable cargo arrivals or diversions. Authorities have uncovered instances of these rentals being used for drug storage and distribution. One weekend in August, police found 3.3kg of cocaine and €4,845 in cash in an Airbnb apartment in Brussels believed to be used for drug operations. In 2024, a large drug trafficking operation revealed drugs worth €21m seized from an Airbnb rental in Staden.
While acknowledging that such criminal bookings represent an extreme minority of the millions processed annually, a representative for Airbnb pointed to measures like artificial intelligence to identify suspicious bookings and stated that problematic renters are always reported to the police. Van Wymersch warned that Belgium risks becoming a narco state if decisive action is not taken, emphasizing the need to target criminal finances.
Her strategy includes focusing on small businesses, like hairdressers and nail bars, used for money laundering, and addressing the root causes of crime by investing in education, anti-poverty strategies, and housing to provide opportunities for vulnerable youth. She advocates for strengthening societal resilience rather than relying solely on repressive measures, noting that the increase in shootings in Brussels is linked to a lack of perspective among young people.