Andrew Tate, an internet influencer known for spreading deeply misogynistic views, was reportedly arrested and detained in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday in connection with a human trafficking investigation.
Romanian police executed search warrants and arrested four suspects – two British and two Romanian – allegedly involved in human trafficking, rape and the formation of an organized crime gang, according to the country’s Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate were among them, according to Reuters, which published images of Andrew Tate being escorted by Romanian police. The suspects will be detained for 24 hours, the Romanian authorities said.
“The four suspects … appear to have created an organized crime ring with the aim of recruiting, harboring and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content to be viewed on specialist paid websites,” they said prosecutors, according to a Reuters translation.
A lawyer for the brothers confirmed their detention to Reuters.
The brothers grew up in England but moved to Romania a few years ago. Andrew Tate told The Mirror earlier this year that they run a lucrative business selling webcam calls to women in their underwear.
The Tate brothers were questioned by law enforcement in April when Romanian police raided Andrew Tate’s home as part of a human trafficking investigation.
Romania’s Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Andrew Tate, a US-born former kickboxer, has been banned from several social media platforms due to his sexist rhetoric. In 2017, she tweeted that women “need to strip [sic] some responsibility for being violated. He was kicked off the reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ in 2016 when a video surfaced that appeared to show him assaulting a woman.
Tate made headlines earlier this week for trying to troll environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who told her to get a life.
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