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Controversial online influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested by Romanian authorities on Thursday, December 29, 2022. Their luxury house in Pipera, near Bucharest, was also raided by DIICOT, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism. They were arrested along with two other individuals.
Considering the Tate brothers' notoriety, their arrest was widely publicized on social media. Clips of the police arresting them were shared extensively by the online community.
In light of the DIICOT's involvement in the case, it is no surprise that the charges against Andrew and Tristan are quite severe. The brothers have been accused of rape, human trafficking, and setting up an organized criminal group.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and rape
Andrew Tate and his brother face rape and human trafficking charges; sources claim six victims of sexual exploitation found
According to the DIICOT's press release, the four detained suspects had allegedly trafficked humans within the national borders of Romania. The agency also released a video of the raid that took place at Andrew Tate's house.
The press release also claimed that the group "recruited" British citizens and lured them into the country by misleading them into believing they would get married or be involved in relationships. However, the women were allegedly coerced, both physically and mentally, to create pornographic material to be sold online through various platforms.
The DIICOT also stated that one of the victims was allegedly coerced by one of the perpetrators into having sexual relations against their will, amounting to allegations of rape.
Six victims have been identified as having been transported and exploited by the group since 2021 using what is known as the "loverboy" method of human trafficking.
How is Greta Thunberg connected to Tristan and Andrew Tate's arrest?
As reactions to the news flooded Twitter and Facebook, a connection to Greta Thunberg was established by many social media users and news reports.
Alejandra Caraballo, a Civil Rights Attorney known for his activism on Twitter, shared a news story suggesting that Andrew Tate's recent tirade against climate activist Greta Thunberg might have led the Romanian authorities to him.
Andrew has been in a public feud with Greta over the last few days. He initially took a jab at the climate activist by bragging about the emissions from many of his supercars.
In her witty reply, which has accrued millions of likes, the Swedish teenager, according to many, publicly humiliated the former kickboxer.
Andrew, however, was not going to take it lying down and posted a clip of himself attempting to rebuke her statements. A pizza box in the video soon became the focal point of a theory that posits that authorities verified his presence in the country. This is because the box was from a Romanian pizza chain.
Andrew Tate and his brother are set to be released from custody after 24 hours of questioning, according to reports. Further information about the case has not been made public.
