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ROMANIAN cops have again seized a fleet of luxury vehicles from Andrew Tate’s home after fresh allegations over human trafficking and sex offences.
Andrew, along with his brother Tristan, is being investigated over claims a 17-year-old girl was trafficked to Britain and forced to “perform sexual acts to produce pornographic material”.
Reuters
AP
AP
AP
APThey are already awaiting trial in Romania, along with two women, after being charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women.
Andrew Tate was also charged with rape in that case.
In the latest raids on Andrew Tate’s property in Bucharest, cops seized 16 luxury vehicles, a motorbike, laptops, luxury watches, and cash.
It is understood that three other properties across the city and nearby were also raided.
The list of luxury vehicles seized includes a £380,000 Ferrari Stradale SF90 and Lamborghini Huracan, which cost around £235,000.
Dramatic pictures showed Romanian cops towing the supercars away along with a Mercedes-Benz, a McLaren and a more humble-looking classic red Lada.
Thr seized cars have a combined value of almost £1.2 million, it is reported.
Georgiana Popa, one of the Tates’s lawyers, said today that the seizures are legal but unfounded and said it has been contested.
“The cars are not [Tate brothers’] property, she added without providing further details.
It comes just two days after Andrew Tate was put on house arrest over the fresh new allegations.
His brother Tristan has meanwhile been freed after the pair were detained and grilled overnight on Wednesday as Romanian cops swooped on four properties in Bucharest and Ilfov county for searches.
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said they were investigating the brothers over alleged trafficking of minors, human trafficking, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering.
The elite unit of cops had the power to detain them for 24 hours – following that, a judge needed to sign off on a preventative arrest, putting them behind bars for a further 30 days.
DIICOT on Thursday announced one of the alleged victims, 17, was “misled” and housed in several locations across both Romania and the UK.
It’s alleged she was forced to perform sexual acts before pornographic material was sent out on various websites.
Romanian cops also allege a defendant had “sexual relations” with a 15-year-old from December 2020.
Two defendants are accused of buying luxury cars “in the names of close people” to hide how they were making profits from human trafficking, authorities say.
They allegedly used the “loverboy” method, getting girls to become infatuated with them before then recruiting them and moving them around different houses to make porn.
It would then be broadcast on multiple platforms with viewers paying a fee, it is alleged.
The Romanian authorities say there are a total of 34 alleged victims who were all in an “obvious state of vulnerability”.
Prosecutors claim the defendants profited $2.8million (£2.1million) from the “sexual exploitation of the victims”.
Since initially being arrested in December 2022, the Tate brothers have vehemently denied all allegations levelled against them.
The dual British-US citizens, raised in Luton, are also wanted in the UK after four women accused them of rape and sexual assault.
The Bucharest appeals court has granted a British request to extradite them back to the UK after legal proceedings in Romania wind up.
Rex
EPA
Cops are seen using a ladder to climb onto the roof
ReutersPREVIOUS ASSET SEIZURES
In March 2024, the Tate brothers lost their bid to get back £10million worth of assets – including a dozen luxury cars – seized by cops last year.
Andrew and Tristan had £10million worth of assets – including company investments worth £84,000 and 21 Bitcoins worth about £440,000 – seized from them in January last year.
Other seized assets included 15 luxury cars, 14 luxury watches, and 10 buildings and lands, all located in and around Bucharest, Romania.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that they lost their bid to get the assets back.
The brothers’ collection of watches includes two Hublot, three Patek Philippe, one Cartier, three Audemars Piguet, one Akribos, two Rolex, one Ulysse Nardin, and one Breitling.
Cars including three Porsche, two BMW, two Ferrari, one Aston Martin, one McLaren, one Lamborghini, and five Mercedes were also seized by Romania‘s organised crime-busting police unit DIICOT.
TATE BROTHERS ARREST TIMELINE
ANDREW and Tristan Tate were arrested in December 2022 and charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
DECEMBER 29, 2022: The brothers are detained in Romania for 30 days, along with two women, on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group.
JANUARY 3, 2023: Romanian authorities seize Andrew’s luxury car collection.
JANUARY 8, 2023: A cryptic tweet is posted to Andrew Tate’s account which reads: “The Matrix has attacked me. But they misunderstand, you cannot kill an idea. Hard to Kill.”
JANUARY 10, 2023: Andrew appears in court in Bucharest to appeal his detention but the judge rules against him.
MARCH 31, 2023: The Bucharest Court of Appeal rules against a judge’s decision to extend Andrew’s incarceration for a fourth time; Andrew is placed on house arrest.
JUNE 20, 2023: The brothers are formally charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
JULY 13, 2023: The Tates launch a $5million lawsuit against a Florida woman who they say falsely accused them of imprisoning her in Romania – which led to their arrest there on human trafficking charges.
AUGUST 4, 2023: Andrew wins an appeal to be released from house arrest in Romania as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking.
DECEMBER 11, 2023: A judge denies the Tate brothers’ appeals to have £10million worth of assets returned to them.
JANUARY 8, 2024: The Bucharest Court of Appeal overturns the decision; the brothers are to have their assets returned to them.
MARCH 12, 2024: Both brothers are arrested in Romania over allegations of sexual aggression in the UK that date back to 2012 and 2015. They deny the allegations.
MARCH 22, 2024: The brothers lost their appeal to get back £10million worth of assets seized by cops.
APRIL 26, 2024: A Romanian court rules that Andrew and Tristan will face trail over ongoing probe into rape and human trafficking.
JULY 5, 2024: Courts rule that Andrew and Tristan can leave Romania – but must stay in the EU
JULY 16, 2024: Courts overturn the earlier decision that allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania as they await trial.
AUGUST 21, 2024: Cops detain Andrew Tate and brother Tristan over fresh allegations of trafficking and sex with a minor.
AUGUST 22, 2024: Andrew Tate placed on house arrest while Tristan was freed.
AUGUST 24, 2024: More luxury cars seized from Andrew Tate’s Bucharest home.
Andrew Tate, centre, and his brother Tristan, right, speak to journalists after being released from detention in Bucharest, Romania on March 12AFP
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