Staff at the Buenos Aires hotel where Liam Payne fell to his death are being investigated for supplying the star with hard drugs in the days leading up to the tragedy.
The men are accused of smuggling various narcotics in the singer’s suite at the CasaSur boutique hotel in the upmarket district of Palermo.
A cleaner and another member of staff are said to have hidden the drugs in Dove Soap box which detectives found in 31-year-old Payne’s room following his death.
White powder, crystals, tablets and other paraphernalia were discovered in the third-floor suite.
Police have sent the chemicals – believed to be cocaine and crack cocaine – for analysis.
Management of the CasaSur are understood to have been made aware of the unusual behaviour of the unnamed men and dismissed one member of staff.
Detectives have also questioned the man about his possible role in Payne’s death.
‘There were two guys at the hotel that were giving Liam drugs,’ a close friend of Mr Payne has revealed.
‘They sent taxis out to collect packages for him.
‘One of the guys was working in the cleaning department.
‘After Liam died, they noticed that one taxi was sent to the cleaner’s home address.
‘The hotel manager asked him why the taxi had gone to his home and when he couldn’t give an explanation he was fired.
‘The cleaner and another member of staff have been interviewed by the police.’
The friend added: ‘Liam was doing everything to stay clean but as soon as he got to the hotel these people were offering him alcohol and drugs.’
Representatives of the CasaSur Hotel have so far declined to comment.
Meanwhile investigators at Argentina’s Ministry of Justice have demanded that a full toxicological examination before Payne’s body is released to his family and repatriated to the UK.
This thorough procedure could mean the former One Direction’s remains stay in Argentina for up to 15 days until the full results are known.
A post-mortem determined that the musician died from multiple injuries after the fall from the third floor of the hotel.
But lead investigator, Prosecutor Marcelo Roma, has called for histopathological, biochemical and toxicological studies to be carried out, to confirm whether the musician was drugged and intoxicated.
Geoff Payne, Liam’s father, arrived in Buenos Aires last week to formally identify his son’s body and to aid in the repatriation of his remains to the UK for burial.