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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Thomas Kingsley

Andrew Tate detained for 30 more days in Romanian jail in human trafficking and rape inquiry

REUTERS

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate will be detained in prison for 30 days while police investigate human trafficking and rape allegations.

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

Prosecutors said they had found six women who had been sexually exploited by the suspects.

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate are escorted by police officers outside the headquarters of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in Bucharest (DIICOT) after being detained for 24 hours (REUTERS)

Tate, who has been banned from many social media platforms for misogynistic comments and hate speech, will remain in prison for another 30 days, a court ruled on Friday. He and his brother have been under investigation since April alongside two Romanian nationals.

Footage shows Tate, who moved to Romania five years ago, and his sibling being led away from a luxury villa.

Andrew Tate posting on Twitter in response to Greta Thunberg’s tweet prior to his arrest in Romania (Andrew Tate/Twitter)

Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) earlier issued a statement, but did not name the Tate brothers, stating that two British citizens and two Romanian citizens were suspected of being part of a criminal group focused on human trafficking.

Tate has declined to comment on his arrest but his lawyer has confirmed he had been detained.

A video of the raid, showing guns, knives, and money on display in one room was also released by prosecutors.

Tate rose to fame as a combat sportsperson but since retiring he has gained notoriety for his misogynistic online commentary.

In 2016, he was removed from British reality TV show Big Brother over a video that appeared to show him hitting a woman with a belt.

A year later, he was banned from Twitter for saying that women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually assaulted but was reinstated last month.

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