Masked police officers in Romania conducted early morning raids on Wednesday at the home of controversial internet personality Andrew Tate, who currently faces charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang. The country's anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, confirmed that the homes in Bucharest and Ilfov—including Tate's large property on the edge of the former city—were being searched for evidence related to human trafficking and money laundering. Tate's representative, Mateea Petrescu, stated that his legal team was present during the raid though she did not address allegations concerning minors.
Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan, 36, both dual British-US citizens and former kickboxers, were detained in 2022 with two Romanian women. In April, the Bucharest Tribunal confirmed that the evidence against them met the legal criteria to proceed with a trial, but no start date has been set. The Tate brothers initially spent three months in police detention and are now under house arrest within Romania. Last month, a court decided they cannot leave the country while awaiting trial, overturning a prior ruling allowing them to travel within the European Union.
Andrew Tate maintains that the charges are baseless and part of a political agenda to silence him. He faced previous bans on multiple social media platforms due to his offensive remarks. Additionally, in a separate case, British authorities have issued arrest warrants for the Tate brothers related to allegations of sexual aggression between 2012 and 2015, but Romania has ruled that any extradition will only occur post their ongoing legal proceedings. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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