DIICOT prosecutors and police officers from the Bucharest Anti-Organized Crime Brigade executed five search warrants on Thursday in a case that is being investigated for organized crime, drug trafficking and rape, according to News.ro.

The case, opened in April, also involves Britons Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate, in whose villa a young woman with American citizenship was also found that month. Together with two other persons, they were detained for 24 hours. According to a DIICOT press release, six victims have so far been identified as having been sexually exploited by organized crime gangs.

“After communique no. 1 dated 04.12.2022 and the interest of mass media representatives, the department of information and public relations of UBOZ is authorized to inform the public about the following:

29.12.2022 prosecutors of the Office for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – Central Structure, together with the police of the Bucharest Anti-Organized Crime Brigade, executed 5 search warrants in a case in which signs of crimes related to a component of an organized crime group, trade are being investigated people and rape.

The case stated that at the beginning of 2021, 4 suspects (two citizens of Great Britain and two citizens of Romania) created a criminal group organized to commit crimes on the territory of Romania, as well as other countries, such as the United States of America and Great Britain, the crime of trafficking by people

Victims were recruited from UK citizens by misleading them about the intention of marriage/cohabitation and the presence of real feelings of love (the loverboy method).

They were later transported and placed in houses in Ilfov County, where through acts of physical violence and psychological coercion (through intimidation, constant surveillance, control and the use of alleged debts), the group members sexually exploited them, forcing them to perform pornographic demonstrations. for the purpose of producing and distributing materials of this nature through social media platforms and by coercive submission of work for the purpose of obtaining important financial benefits consisting of monetary sums obtained as a result of access to materials by users.

So far, 6 victims have been identified who were sexually exploited by the OZH.

With regard to the crime of rape, it was noted that in March 2022, the suspect forced the victim to have sexual intercourse by means of physical violence and psychological pressure in two different cases.

4 persons who are reasonably suspected of being involved in criminal activity were taken to the GUBOS – Central Structure for questioning. According to the results of the hearings, the prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – the central structure made a decision to detain 4 people for a period of 24 hours.

The events were also attended by the Ilfov Police Service for Combating Organized Crime and the Service for Combating Human Trafficking, as well as gendarmes of the Special Intervention Brigade of the Gendarmerie,” says the DIICOT press release.

DIICOT also clarifies that during the entire criminal process, the persons under investigation enjoy the procedural rights and guarantees provided for by the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the presumption of innocence.

On April 12, DIICOT reported that the case concerning the deprivation of liberty of a woman who had been searched by Ilfov police had been dismissed by DIICOT, which continued the criminal investigation for human trafficking and rape. Several witnesses were heard in this case. On the same day, DIICOT prosecutors ordered the continuation of the criminal investigation into human trafficking and rape. The criminal investigation was conducted in the case.