Romanian court agrees to extend detention of Andrew Tate by 30 days amid human trafficking probe

A Romanian court has said Andrew Tate, the controversial social media influencer arrested with his brother Tristan on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group, will remain in detention for 30 days.

The former kickboxer, 36, has reportedly been held alongside his brother, Tristan, and two other suspects while his house was raided in the capital, Bucharest.

All four will be held for 30 days during an investigation after a judge extended their initial detention period of 24 hours, said Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romanian anti-organized crime agency DIICOT.

Ms Bolla said the decision wasn’t final and that all four suspects have already appealed the extension, which is unlikely to be heard in court before next week.

DIICOT released a statement on Thursday confirming they carried out five home search warrants.

The group said the warrants relate to crimes of “constituting an organised criminal group, human trafficking and rape.”

It did not name the Tate brothers but stated that two British citizens and two Romanian citizens were suspected of being part of the criminal group.

Romanian authorities share video of a raid following the arrest of Andrew Tate

Footage shared by DIICOT showed police raiding a property. “So far, six injured persons have been identified who were sexually exploited by the organised criminal group,” the statement adds.

“Four people who are reasonably suspected of being involved in criminal activity were taken for questioning.

“Following the hearings, the prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism - Central Structure ordered the four persons to be detained for a period of 24 hours.”

The statement adds that “the investigated persons benefit from the procedural rights and guarantees provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the presumption of innocence.”

According to Reuters news agency, prosecutors said: “The four suspects… appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost.”

A spokesperson for Tate 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.”

Tate, who has received attention for his misogynistic online commentary, moved to Romania five years ago.

Tate rose to fame when he appeared on the reality TV show Big Brother in 2016, however, he was removed from the programme after a video surfaced online which appeared to show him attacking a woman with a belt – a clip he claimed had been edited. In 2017, he was banned on Twitter for saying that women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually assaulted, but was reinstated last month. He was also banned from Facebook and Instagram in 2020 for breaching its rules around dangerous organisations or individuals, said the company.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know