Andrew Tate detained as police raid homes in Romania

Police in Romania conducted new raids early Wednesday at the residence of controversial internet personality Andrew Tate, who is currently awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, announced that it was searching four properties in Bucharest and the nearby Ilfov county as part of an investigation into human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, witness tampering, and money laundering. The agency also mentioned that hearings would later take place at its headquarters.

Tate and his brother Tristan were taken in for questioning by DIICOT as the police carried out the searches.

Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, stated that although the charges listed in the search warrant were not yet fully clear, they included suspicions of human trafficking and money laundering. She also noted that their legal team was present but did not address the allegations involving minors.

Dozens of police officers and forensic experts combed through Tate’s expansive property on the outskirts of Bucharest. DIICOT emphasized in its statement that all individuals under investigation are entitled to procedural rights and guarantees as outlined by the Code of Criminal Procedure, including the presumption of innocence.

Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan, 36, both former kickboxers and dual British-U.S. citizens with millions of social media followers, were arrested in 2022 near Bucharest along with two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four last year, but they have denied the charges.

Later on Wednesday, Petrescu revealed that the Tate brothers had been detained for 24 hours, the maximum time DIICOT can hold them without a judge’s approval for an extended detention. She added that no such request had been made by prosecutors at that time.