Authorities in Romania descended on a compound near Bucharest on Saturday to seize a fleet of luxury cars and other assets valued at $3.9 million as part of an investigation into Andrew Tate, a divisive social media personality held in the country on charges of human trafficking.
Romania’s National Agency for the Administration of Unavailable Assets in Romania said it had removed 15 luxury automobiles, 14 designer watches, and cash in various currencies. According to the agency, the total value of the goods is estimated to be 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million).
Dozens of masked law enforcement officers and other officials stormed the compound on Saturday to seize the assets. The automobiles seized were a Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, and a Mercedes-Benz.
Andrew Tate, a British-American citizen with over 4 million Twitter fans, was arrested on December 29 in Bucharest with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women on charges of being a member of organized crime, human trafficking, and rape.
Andrew Tate is Being Held Without Bail
On Tuesday, all four lost their appeals after a judge extended their detention from 24 hours to 30 days on December 30. Tate lost another appeal the next day, challenging his assets being seized by prosecutors.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency announced the seizure of 15 high-end vehicles in the case and identified more than ten properties and land owned by companies registered to the Tate brothers.
Suppose prosecutors can prove they made money through illegal activities such as human trafficking. In that case, the assets could be used to cover investigation costs and victims’ compensation, according to a spokesperson.
The spokesperson stated that it had identified 6 victims in Tate’s human trafficking case who were subjected to alleged physical violence and sexually exploited by members of an alleged criminal organization.
According to the agency, victims were lured into pornography under the guise of love. They were then intimidated, kept under surveillance, and subjected to other control tactics.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer, has been living in Romania since 2017. He was previously barred from using several popular social media platforms over his controversial views.
Andrew Tate Takes a Stab at Greta Thunberg
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and social media personality, is well-known for his controversial views. His most recent piece is about climate change and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
Andrew Tate took to Twitter to announce the number of cars he owns, followed by a list of their powerful engines. The tweet that demanded Thunberg’s email address so Tate could provide her with more information featured his prized Bugatti and Ferraris. Read more.
