Rabat – Police in Romania arrested controversial influencer Andrew Tate as part of an investigation to determine his alleged involvement in human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group.
Police raided Tate’s house in Bucharest on Thursday, where he was arrested along with his brother Tristan.
The brothers’ lawyer confirmed their arrest, Reuters reported. Police also arrested two other suspects. Romanian prosecutors also asked a Bucharest court to extend Tate’s detention to 30 days.
“The four suspects … appear to have created an organized crime group with the purpose of recruiting, hosting and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialized websites for a cost,” prosecutors handling the case said.
Tate is known for his controversial misogynistic comments and hates speech.
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) announced the arrest of two British citizens and two Romanian citizens without the suspects’ names.
The statement said that police identified six people who were ‘sexually exploited” by an “organized criminal group.”
Tate is a former kickboxer, whose controversial statements drew several backlash and debates online. Tate’s controversial remarks include his remarks that women “belong to home and cannot drive,” according to the Guardian.
The internet personality also believes that rape victims “must bear responsibility” for their attacks.
Tate also made international headlines recently after a video showing him praying went viral online.
Some of his friends, including athlete Tamn Khan, suggested that the influencer had converted to Islam.
