Authorities in Romania executed search warrants early Wednesday at the residence of Andrew Tate, a controversial internet personality who is currently awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape, and organizing a criminal group to exploit women. The searches, conducted by the country’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, targeted four locations in Bucharest and the nearby Ilfov county. The agency specified that the investigation centers around allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual activity with a minor, influencing testimonies, and money laundering. Subsequent hearings will be held at DIICOT’s headquarters.

Mateea Petrescu, Tate’s spokesperson, confirmed the raids, stating that while the exact nature of the charges outlined in the warrant remains unclear, they encompass suspicions of human trafficking and money laundering. Petrescu also confirmed the presence of Tate’s legal team during the searches but did not address the allegations related to minors.

Forensic personnel participated in the thorough examination of Tate’s expansive property situated on the outskirts of Bucharest. DIICOT emphasized that throughout the legal process, individuals under investigation retain the procedural rights and guarantees established by the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the presumption of innocence.

Andrew Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan, 36, both former kickboxers and dual British-U.S. citizens with extensive social media followings, were apprehended in 2022 near Bucharest alongside two Romanian women. Last year, Romanian prosecutors officially indicted all four individuals. They have categorically denied all allegations.

In April, the Bucharest Tribunal determined that the prosecutors’ case file against the four individuals met the legal requirements for a trial, without specifying a commencement date. This ruling followed months of discussions in the preliminary chamber stages, a process during which the defendants can challenge the evidence and case file presented by prosecutors.

Following their arrest in 2022, the Tate brothers were held in police custody for three months before being transferred to house arrest. Their movements were subsequently restricted to Bucharest and Ilfov counties, and later to the entirety of Romania.

Last month, a court overturned a prior decision that had permitted the Tate brothers to leave Romania while awaiting trial. The earlier court ruling, issued on July 5, allowed them to depart the country as long as they remained within the European Union, a decision that was considered final.

Andrew Tate, known for his misogynistic views expressed online and for garnering 9.9 million followers on the social media platform X, has repeatedly asserted that prosecutors lack evidence against him and that a political conspiracy aims to silence him. He has previously faced bans from various social media platforms due to his misogynistic views and hate speech.

In March, the Tate brothers appeared before the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case, stemming from arrest warrants issued by British authorities over allegations of sexual assault spanning 2012-2015. The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the Tate brothers to the U.K., but only after the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.