theRomanian authorities removed several luxury cars from the home of influencer Andrew Tate on Saturday, after a new investigation left the 37-year-old and his brother Tristan Tate, 36, under house arrest again.
The cars – including a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Mercedes-Benz, a McLaren and a classic red Lada – were seized two days after Romania’s anti-organised crime agency (DIICOT) raided four houses in Bucharest and neighbouring Ilfov County and arrested six people, including the Tate brothers.
Agents also seized thousands of dollars in cash, laptop computers and data storage drives, according to the Associated Press.
Georgiana Popa, one of the brothers’ lawyers, told the press that the confiscations, which were being challenged, were “legal, but unfounded” because “the cars do not belong” to those targeted.
It is worth noting that the Romanian judiciary placed the two men under house arrest again on Thursday, after the Public Prosecution requested that they be kept in detention for another 30 days.
Romanian authorities have accused two of the defendants in the case of using the “lover boy” technique, which involves convincing victims they are in a romantic relationship, to coerce 34 people into producing pornographic material that was then posted online. In total, the duo made more than $2.8 million (around €2,520,392) and 887,000 tokens.
Furthermore, one of the defendants was accused of forcing a minor under the age of 17 to produce pornographic material in Great Britain and Romania, generating profits of $1.5 million (approximately €1,350,075), and having sexual relations with a 15-year-old victim.
The brothers, who were previously detained in Bucharest in 2022 and banned from leaving Romania, have denied the allegations. However, they were targeted by a European Arrest Warrant issued by British authorities on similar grounds. At the time, Romanian authorities seized 15 luxury cars, 14 branded watches and cash in various currencies.
In the UK, they are also accused of tax fraud for income of around €25 million from internet activities.
The Romanian judicial system has indicated that it is willing to accept extradition, but only after a trial in Romania, which could take several years.
Andrew Tate was born in the United States and lived for several years in Romania, a country he said he valued for its freedom and “the fact that corruption is accessible to everyone.”
Banned from social networks Instagram and TikTok for misogynistic comments, the former kickboxer still has 9.9 million followers on social network X (formerly Twitter).
Read also: Influencer Andrew Tate under house arrest after new investigation
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