Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate’s detention in Romania on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking has been extended by another 30 days by a court in Bucharest.
Tate, 36, was initially arrested on Dec. 29 alongside his brother, Tristan, and two Romanian women after authorities descended on his Bucharest property, the Associated Press reported. None of the four has been formally charged as of yet.
The two women will be put under house arrest while the Tate brothers have been ordered held for the third 30-day extension since their arrest, according to Ramona Bolla, spokesperson for Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT.
Bolla noted that if prosecutors can prove that Tate earned a profit from human trafficking, the assets could be used to cover the expenses of the investigation and compensate the victims, according to previous Associated Press reporting.
The court cited the “particular dangerousness of the defendants,” who had a history of identifying victims “with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities,” as basis for the decision to keep them in custody, the AP noted.
Andrew Tate arrives handcuffed and escorted by police at a courthouse in Bucharest on February 1, 2023. Photo: Getty Images
The Tate brothers appealed a judge’s Jan. 20 decision to keep them behind bars throughout the investigation, but that was denied on Feb. 1.
Before Tuesday’s ruling, their lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, told journalists that they intended to fight any potential 30-day extensions.
Since the December arrest, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency has identified six alleged victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation by members of Tate’s group.
