Opening photo: Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
Another house search was held at the home of divisive Internet opinion leader Andrew Tate, who is accused of human trafficking, rape and organizing a criminal gang created for the sexual exploitation of women – he wrote Euronews. According to the latest developments, the authorities are also accusing the Tate brothers of crimes committed against minors.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said it searched four apartments in Bucharest and the nearby Ilfov county early Wednesday morning. Dozens of police and crime scene investigators reportedly searched Tate’s sprawling property.
Responding to the raids, Tate spokeswoman Mateea Petrescu said that “although the allegations contained in the search warrant are not fully resolved, human trafficking and money laundering are suspected,” adding that her legal team was present. Petrescu did not address the allegations involving minors.
Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan, 36, both former kickboxers and dual British-American citizens with millions of followers on social media, were arrested in 2022 near Bucharest along with two Romanian women. Last year, Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four individuals, who denied the charges.