比利时国家禁毒专员伊内·范·怀默施警示，有组织犯罪集团正在利用Airbnb等短期租赁平台作为毒品、武器、现金和人员的存放地点[1]。范·怀默施指出这类平台提供的灵活性为犯罪分子所用，称"你可以租一间Airbnb公寓或工作室三天，如果船不是到安特卫普而是去马赛，还可以免费取消"[1]。虽然当局尚未掌握问题规模的准确数据，但近期案例表明这种做法已成为有组织犯罪的常用手段[1]。
8月初，比利时警方从布鲁塞尔中心一处Airbnb租赁房内缴获3.3公斤可卡因和4,845欧元现金[1]。2024年，当局从位于西弗兰德斯斯塔登的一处Airbnb租赁处查获价值2,100万欧元的毒品，随后11人因参与比利时至英国的贩毒活动被判刑[1]。
对此，Airbnb比利时代表未作直接回应，但引用该公司法国及比荷卢地区经理克莱蒙特·欧尔里的言论指出，此类犯罪预订属于极少数情况，公司已采用人工智能技术来识别可疑预订[1]。
Belgium's national drug czar has sounded the alarm over organized crime networks using short-term rental platforms like Airbnb to store narcotics, weapons, cash, and personnel. According to Ine Van Wymersch, who became Belgium's first national drug coordinator in 2023, criminals exploit the flexibility of these rental services to facilitate drug trafficking operations [1]. "You need someone to pick up from the port. You don't know when the ship arrives. You can rent an Airbnb apartment or studio for three days. It's very flexible. If the ship doesn't go to Antwerp but to Marseille, you can even cancel for free," Van Wymersch explained [1].
While authorities lack precise data on the scale of the problem, recent seizures demonstrate the scope of the issue. In early August, police recovered 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 4,845 euros in cash from an Airbnb rental in central Brussels [1]. More significantly, an operation in 2024 resulted in the conviction of 11 individuals involved in drug trafficking between Belgium and the United Kingdom, with 21 million euros worth of narcotics seized from an Airbnb rental in Staden, West Flanders [1]. An Airbnb representative in Belgium declined to comment but pointed to recent remarks by the company's regional manager for France and the Benelux countries, Clément Eulry, who characterized such criminal bookings as rare and noted that the platform uses artificial intelligence to identify suspicious reservations [1].