Romanian authorities remove vehicles from Andrew Tate's home after new allegations

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian authorities towed a fleet of luxury vehicles from the home of controversial social media personality Andrew Tate on Saturday, days after he was placed under house arrest following fresh allegations of human trafficking.

Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan Tate, 36, both former kickboxers and British and American citizens known for their misogynistic views and followed by millions on social media, are already awaiting trial in Romania, as are two women. They have been charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women. Andrew Tate has also been charged with rape in the case.

Among the luxury vehicles seized from their home near the capital were a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Mercedes-Benz, a McLaren and a more modest-looking classic red Lada. The seizure comes two days after Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, raided four homes in Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov county and arrested six people, including the Tate brothers. Police also confiscated thousands of dollars in cash, laptops and data storage drives.

One of the Tates' lawyers, Georgiana Popa, told reporters outside the brothers' home Saturday that the seizures were “legal, but baseless” and said they had been challenged.

“The cars are not (the brothers') property,” she said, without providing further information.

The Tate brothers appeared in a Bucharest court on Thursday, with prosecutors seeking to remand them in custody. But a judge rejected that request and placed Andrew Tate under house arrest and Tristan Tate under judicial supervision, which typically involves restricting contact with certain people and having to report periodically to police. The brothers’ spokesman, Mateea Petrescu, said the Tate brothers strongly deny all allegations against them and “remain committed to proving their innocence.”

In the new case, DIICOT said it was investigating allegations of human trafficking, including trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, forming an organized criminal group, money laundering and influencing statements.

The agency also said the defendants used the coercive “loverboy” method to exploit 34 vulnerable victims, who were forced to produce pornographic material for payment online, and that more than $2.8 million (€2.5 million) of the proceeds were retained by the defendants.

An unnamed foreigner also allegedly sexually exploited a 17-year-old foreign girl, according to DIICOT, and kept all of the $1.5 million (€1.3 million) he earned from the criminal activity. The same man allegedly “repeatedly engaged in sexual relations and acts” with a 15-year-old girl, the agency said.

Andrew Tate, who has 9.9 million followers, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. He has previously been banned from several social media platforms for his misogynistic views and hate speech.

The authorities have already confiscated some of the brothers' property.

After the Tates were arrested in December 2022, authorities seized 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in multiple currencies. The total value of the assets, authorities said at the time, was estimated at €3.6 million ($3.9 million). In April, a Bucharest court ruled that prosecutors’ case against them met the legal criteria and that a trial could begin, but did not set a date for it.

Last month, a court overturned an earlier decision that had allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania while they await trial. The court's decision is final and cannot be appealed.

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Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara.