London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Andrew Tate to be held in Romanian jail for another 30 days

Andrew Tate to be held in Romanian jail for another 30 days

Andrew Tate will remain in a Romanian prison for another 30 days after being arrested there on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group.

The former professional kickboxer and divisive social media personality was detained with his brother Tristan and two others in a series of raids across the capital Bucharest on Thursday night.

Prosecutors said the suspects ‘appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost’.

They added: ‘They would have gained important sums of money.’

All four will be held for 30 more days after a judge extended their initial detention period of 24 hours, Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romanian anti-organized crime agency DIICOT, said.

Ms Bolla said the decision was not final.

Outside the court, the Tates’ lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said they would appeal against the detention.

‘We are not at a stage where guilt or innocence is proven, for now we only discuss preventive measures,’ he added.

Mr Vidineac told the BBC his clients reject all the allegations. Andrew Tate, 36, has yet to comment directly on the accusations.

Footage circulated widely on social media on Thursday appeared to show the brothers being led away from a luxury villa.




According to the directorate, six injured people have been identified in relation to the investigation, one of whom is said to have been violently sexually assaulted in March.

Some of the suspects allegedly used the ‘loverboy’ method of trafficking, which involves a man luring a victim into a relationship in order to sexually exploit them later, DIICOT said.

The victims were transported and housed in buildings in Ilfov county, which surrounds Bucharest, where they were coerced into making pornographic content, it is alleged.

DIICOT released a video of the raid showing guns, knives and money on display in one room.

A tweet was posted later on Friday on Tate’s Twitter account saying: ‘The Matrix sent their agents.’

The post was the latest in a series of ‘matrix’ references made by Tate, apparently linked to the movie franchise which depicts a fictionalised world in which humanity is trapped in a simulated reality.

The concept of the films has been co-opted by far-right conspiracy theorists and men’s rights groups in recent years.

Earlier in the week, Tate sparked a war of words with climate activist Greta Thunberg


Since retiring from combat sports, Tate, 36, has received attention for his misogynistic comments on social media.

In 2016, he was removed from Britain’s version of the Big Brother TV show over a video that appeared to show him hitting a woman with a belt.

The following year, he was banned from Twitter for saying women should ‘bear responsibility’ for being sexually assaulted, but was reinstated last month.

Earlier in the week, Tate sparked a war of words with climate activist Greta Thunberg when he shared a picture of himself standing next to a Bugatti and claimed he owned 33 cars.

‘Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions,’ he tweeted, tagging Ms Thunberg.

She replied: ‘Yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com.’

In the video, Tate said: ‘I’m not actually mad at Greta because she doesn’t realise she’s been programmed, she doesn’t realise she’s a slave of the matrix, she thinks she’s doing good.’

Ms Bolla, from DIICOT, refuted widespread claims in the media that an address brandished on a pizza box that featured in the clip led authorities to his arrest.

She said the claims are ‘funny, but no’.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×