Μake us preferred on Google Short-term rentals similar to Airbnb appear to have become one of the tools used by criminal organizations in Europe, as they are being used as temporary hiding places for drugs, weapons, illegal money, and even people.
The warning comes from Belgium’s national drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch, who also pointed out that the rapid growth of e-commerce is making it “significantly easier” for organized crime to operate.
Authorities are not yet able to determine the exact scale of the problem. However, according to Van Wymersch, criminal organizations have recognized the advantages offered by the flexibility of short-term rentals.
Van Wymersch stressed that short-term rental companies serve a completely legitimate purpose, but she said stronger safeguards are needed to prevent their services from being exploited by criminal networks.
The issue is not merely theoretical. In early August, according to the Guardian, police seized 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 4,845 euros in cash from an apartment in central Brussels that had been rented through Airbnb. According to authorities, the property is believed to have been used for storing and packaging drugs.
An even larger case came to light in 2024, when 11 people were convicted for their involvement in a major drug trafficking ring operating between Belgium and Britain. As part of that investigation, drugs worth approximately 21 million euros were seized from an Airbnb rental in West Flanders.
An Airbnb spokesperson in Belgium referred to recent statements by the company’s head for France and Benelux, Clément Eulry. According to him, bookings linked to criminal activity make up an extremely small share of the millions of bookings the platform handles each year. He noted, however, that even one such incident is considered too many.
He said the company applies several security measures, including artificial intelligence systems to detect suspicious bookings, and that problematic guests are reported to police and local authorities.
From Cryptocurrency to Parcel Deliveries
Short-term rentals, according to the Belgian official, are just one aspect of a much broader shift in how organized crime operates.
The ability to create anonymous email accounts, encrypted communications, cryptocurrency, and the massive growth of parcel delivery services have all created new opportunities for criminal networks.
Delivery companies are seen as particularly vulnerable. As Van Wymersch explains, a white van stopping outside a house to drop off a small package is now a completely ordinary sight, one that rarely raises suspicion on its own.
