Andrew Tate and his brother arrested in Romania in human-trafficking case

The controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate was arrested in Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday, December 29. Well-known for his highly divisive views, Tate is a former professional kickboxer and the founder of Hustler University. Having been banned from multiple social networks for his misogynistic comments, Tate teaches others how to live his hyper-masculine “alpha male” lifestyle.

Andrew Tate was arrested along with his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian suspects in connection to rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group. According to Gandul, Romania’s daily newspaper, one of the suspects is a former policewoman.

Chilling details about the case were revealed in a press release from Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism or DIICOT. “The four suspects…appear to have created an organized crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialized websites for a cost.”

Gandul further reported that the group has been under investigation since April. It began after a complaint was made that “a woman with American citizenship was being forcibly held at their residence.” The paper also revealed that numerous young women were found in a building only 500 meters (1,640 feet) from Andrew Tate’s villa.

The American woman told authorities that she met Tristan Tate over social media. He convinced her to buy a plane ticket to Romania. The DIICOT press release dubs this “the loverboy method” and cites the activity’s prominent role in the case.

Six victims have been identified so far who were exploited by this group. The women were lured in by promises of a serious relationship or even marriage, but the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. The women endured physical and mental abuse while forced to perform pornographic acts against their will.

The four suspects will be detained for 24 hours while officials search the properties connected to the case. Five homes were raided, including Andrew Tate’s Bucharest villa. Videos of the brothers being escorted out of the luxury residence in handcuffs are being widely circulated on social media.

A DIICOT spokesperson shared that prosecutors have applied to hold Andrew Tate at a detention center for an additional thirty days. A judge is set to rule on this application Friday afternoon.

Cover Image: The Mirror UK