WESTPORT, Mass. — What started as a seemingly routine hotel stay turned into full-blown chaos Monday afternoon at the Hampton Inn Westport when four men allegedly dropped a bag full of methamphet­amine in the lobby — and then frantically hunted it down, digging through trash receptacles in their scramble to retrieve it, police say.

According to officers, around 1:49 p.m. staff alerted the Westport Police Department after finding a discarded bag of suspected drugs. Surveillance footage captured the four men nervously scanning the lobby, peering into trash cans and acting as if someone had just misplaced something extremely valuable.

Hotel workers then pointed officers to one of the rooms the group had rented. Inside were Alexander Rebelo of East Providence, RI; Andrew Massey of Middletown, RI; Robert Noble of Fall River; and John Taylor III of Westport — all dressed in the attire seen in the video of the lobby search, police say.

When questioned, they claimed they were simply looking for a lost cell phone. But a records check revealed active warrants for Rebelo, Massey and Noble — and Taylor allegedly admitted to selling drugs to one of the other men. That explanation didn’t add up, and neither did their frantic body language.

After being taken into custody, Noble and Taylor were transported to a hospital for medical evaluation — but not before police say they discovered Taylor in possession of 37 grams of suspected meth­amphet­amine, more than 30 ml of liquid GHB, Suboxone strips and a handful of unknown pills. At booking, Rebelo was found with another 8 grams of suspected meth. Massey was held on his warrant, while Taylor is being held on $25,000 bail on major drug trafficking charges.

In praising the hotel staff’s vigilance, the Westport Police Department noted that their quick thinking to monitor the drop-bag and assist officers was instrumental in the takedown.

“This is exactly the kind of teamwork that leads to arrests,” the department said. “When our community steps up, we move one step closer to making Westport safer for everyone.”