ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

When a cleaning team arrived at a California Airbnb to prepare the property for the next guests they discovered a large quantity of illegal drugs.

More than 100kg of methamphetamine was found by the cleaners at the site in Alhambra, near Los Angeles. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

The team called the police who arrived just in time to witness a van returning to pick up the drugs. The van made a U-turn but police gave chase and two people were later arrested on suspicion of transporting narcotics.

"The suspects quickly turned around, thinking they were going to get away," said Alhambra Police. "Ultimately the two suspects were arrested and were booked into the APD jail on drug smuggling charges."

Airbnb has released a statement claiming that the reported criminal activity has no place on Airbnb.

"We have removed a guest who made the booking from the platform while the investigation continues and our team is working closely with the host to provide support," said the company. "We stand ready to assist the Alhambra Police Department with their investigation."

It is not uncommon for cleaners to stumble across illegal items when going about their work. A few years ago it was reported that a cleaning team had discovered a stash of handguns concealed in the bin of a toilet on a Calais to Dover ferry.

And a 2022 Reddit report revealed that one cleaner had unearthed a gun beneath a hotel mattress while another had found a crack pipe in the freezer.