Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Divisive Social Media Star Andrew Tate Detained in Romania
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
December 30, 2022

Share

Andrew Tate, a divisive social media personality and former professional kickboxer, was detained in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape, an official said Friday.

Tate, a British-U.S. citizen who previously was banned from various social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech, was detained late Thursday for 24 hours along with his brother Tristan in the Ilfov area north of Romania’s capital, Bucharest.

Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson from Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, confirmed their arrest in a phone call with The Associated Press on Friday, and said prosecutors have asked a judge at the Bucharest tribunal to extend the arrest warrant to 30 days. She said a decision is expected later Friday.

DIICOT said in a statement late Thursday that the four suspects in the case, which include two British citizens and two Romanians, were arrested on charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking and rape.

The agency said the British citizens recruited women who were subjected to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion,” sexually exploited by group members and forced to perform pornographic acts intended to reap “important financial benefits.”

The statement didn’t name the Tate brothers. Photographs published by Romanian media outlets appeared to show Tate being led away in handcuffs by masked law enforcement officers.

DIICOT said it identified six people who were sexually exploited by the organized criminal group, and that five homes were raided on Thursday.

On Friday, Andrew Tate, who is known to express various conspiratorial views, tweeted that “The Matrix sent their agents,” without elaborating.

Earlier this week, Tate posted a video on Twitter of a mountainous region of Romania, the Eastern European country where he is reported to have lived for the last five years.

Tate also was embroiled this week in a war of words with 19-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg after he tweeted a picture of himself standing next to a Bugatti and bragged that he owned 33 cars.

Police said that 11 luxury cars were discovered in the raids that were owned or used by the suspects.

Video footage from the police raid accompanying the anti-organized crime agency’s statement shows several blurred-out sports cars, wads of cash and a handgun.

Bolla, from DIICOT, refuted widespread claims in the media that an address brandished on a pizza box that featured in a video posted by Andrew Tate on Twitter earlier this week led authorities to his arrest. She said the claims are “funny, but no.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

DON'T MISS

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

DON'T MISS

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

DON'T MISS

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

DON'T MISS

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

UP NEXT

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

UP NEXT

Corcoran Prison Guard, Inmate Accused of Orchestrating Assault on Other Inmate

UP NEXT

Visalia Police Arrest 8, Seize Guns and Drugs

UP NEXT

Visalia Police Arrest Suspect in the Shooting Death of 15-Year-Old

UP NEXT

Kings County Man Arrested in Child Molestation Case Identified

UP NEXT

Fresno Men Arrested After Clovis Car Break-In Attempt Identified

UP NEXT

Wisconsin School Shooter Had 2 Guns and Got Messages From Man Accused of Plotting His Own Attack

UP NEXT

Tulare County Mother, Accomplice Charged in Amber Alert Kidnap

UP NEXT

FBI Raids Home of LA Deputy Mayor Following City Hall Bomb Threat Probe

UP NEXT

White House Pushes to Find American Journalist Abducted in Syria

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

12 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

12 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

12 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

12 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

12 hours ago

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

13 hours ago

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

13 hours ago

This French Bulldog Is So Fetch: Meet Toaster Strudel

15 hours ago

The Fed Expects to Cut Rates More Slowly in 2025. What That Could Mean for Mortgages, Debt and More

17 hours ago

New California Voter ID Ban Puts Conservative Cities at Odds With State

18 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

In a recent interview, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs outlined his concerns about the possibility of war with Iran, framing it as the culm...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

10 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

11 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

12 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

12 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

12 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

12 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

12 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend