Former professional kickboxer Andrew Tate has been arrested in Romania in connection with human trafficking, rape and forming an organized crime group, officials confirmed to multiple news outlets.
The social media influencer appeared to be taken away in handcuffs from his villa in Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.
Four suspects will be detained for 24 hours following the raid of five homes. The suspects and homes are connected to an investigation dealing with human trafficking, an organized crime group and rape, according to a press release from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
While the suspects were not identified in the press release, a lawyer for Andrew, 36, confirmed to Sky News he and his brother, Tristan Tate, were detained. The two British-Americans were arrested alongside two Romanian suspects, according to the press release.
A spokesperson for Andrew told the Daily Mirror, “We cannot provide any details at the moment regarding alleged reports that they have been detained; however, Andrew and Tristan Tate have the utmost respect for the Romanian authorities and will always assist and help in any way they can.”
It is unclear who is representing the Tate brothers to comment on their behalf.
Romanian daily newspaper Gândul reported one of the suspects is a former policewoman. The newspaper said the investigation into the group began in April after a complaint was received that “a woman with American citizenship was being forcibly held at their residence.”
Several young women were found in a building located about 500 meters from the Bucharest villa, according to the paper. The American woman told investigators she met Tristan through a social media network and convinced her to buy a plane ticket to Romania. The woman contacted her ex-boyfriend, who reported the crime to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest.
According to Gândul, investigators waited for the Tate brothers to return to Romania to arrest, moving only after watching his social media appearances to make sure he was in the country.
“Victims were recruited by British citizens by misrepresenting their intention to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship and the existence of genuine feelings of love,” the press release states. The Directorate referred to this as “the loverboy method.”
The victims were made to believe they were entering into a marriage or a cohabitation relationship, but instead they were later transported to buildings in the Ilfov County, the area that surrounds Bucharest, where they were forced through physical violence and mental coercion into performing pornographic acts which were then disseminated through social media, according to the press release.
So far, investigators have identified six victims who they believe were exploited by the group.
The rape allegation stems from an incident in March 2022, when an injured person was forced on two different occasions to have sexual relations, according to the press release. The suspect is accused of using physical violence and psychological pressure to get sex. (People)