Banned from many social media platforms for misogynistic comments and hate speech, controversial internet personality Andrew Tate's arrest in Bucharest has brought him back into the news spotlight.
On Thursday, Romanian prosecutors said they had detained the former professional kickboxer, along with his brother Tristan and two other men, with their properties in Bucharest raided.
So, what charges are they facing, and what happens next for Tate?
What charges is he facing
Tate was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of multiple charges, according to Romanian prosecutors, including:
- human trafficking
- rape
- forming an organised crime group
What prosecutors are alleging
The Tate brothers have been under criminal investigation since April, with prosecutors claiming the pair, along with two other individuals, were forcing women to create pornographic material for their own financial gain.
Prosecutors said in the course of their investigations they had found six women who had been sexually exploited by the suspects.
"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," prosecutors said.
"They would have gained important sums of money."
What did police find during the raid?
Police said 11 luxury cars that were owned or used by the suspects were discovered in the raids.
Video footage from the police raid accompanying the anti-organised crime agency's statement shows several blurred-out sports cars, wads of cash and a handgun.
What will happen next
The brothers and the two Romanian suspects were initially held for 24 hours.
A Romanian judge extended the detention for all four by 30 days on Friday.
A spokesperson for Romania's anti-organised crime agency (DIICOT) said all four suspects had appealed the extension.
They said it was unlikely the appeal would be heard in court before next week.
"From our perspective, there are no grounds … for taking this most drastic preventive measure, but it is the judge's prerogative," Tate's lawyer Eugen Constantin Vidineac told reporters.
Did a pizza box lead to Tate's arrest?
Earlier this week, Tate was told to "get a life" by climate activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter after he told her he owned 33 cars with "enormous emissions".
This led to Tate posting a video, smoking a cigar in a bathrobe before a box of pizza was placed in front of him.
Internet sleuths believe the pizza box, from a well-known chain in Romania, helped police confirm Tate was in the country and played a crucial role in his arrest.
However, DIICOT spokesperson Ramona Bolla refuted claims that the video led to Tate's arrest.
She said it was "funny, but no".
Reuters/AP
