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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian officials removed a collection of luxury cars from the home of Andrew Tate on Saturday. This action took place just days after he was placed under house arrest due to new allegations of human trafficking.

The 37-year-old Tate and his 36-year-old brother, Tristan, are both former kickboxers, hold dual British and U.S. citizenship, and have amassed millions of social media followers. They are known for their controversial views, particularly towards women. Currently, they are awaiting trial in Romania along with two women, having been charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal organization aimed at exploiting women. Andrew Tate faces additional charges of rape related to this case.

The cars confiscated from their residence, located near Romania’s capital, included high-end models like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and McLaren, as well as a more modest classic red Lada. This seizure followed a raid by Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, which took place two days earlier. During the raid, officers searched four homes in Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county, detaining six individuals, including the Tate brothers. Authorities also seized a significant amount of cash, laptops, and data storage devices.

Georgiana Popa, one of the lawyers representing the Tate brothers, spoke to the media outside their home on Saturday. She described the seizures as “legal but unfounded” and indicated that they are contesting the actions taken against them. She added, “The cars are not the brothers’ property,” though she did not elaborate further.

On Thursday, the Tate brothers appeared in a Bucharest court where prosecutors requested to keep them in custody. However, the judge denied this request, placing Andrew Tate under house arrest and imposing judicial controls on Tristan, which typically involve limited contact with certain individuals and required check-ins with law enforcement. The spokesperson for the brothers, Mateea Petrescu, asserted that the Tates deny all allegations against them and are committed to proving their innocence.

In this ongoing investigation, DIICOT is looking into claims of human trafficking, which include allegations of trafficking minors, engaging in sexual activities with a minor, forming an organized crime group, money laundering, and tampering with witness statements.

The agency also reported that the defendants allegedly used a manipulative tactic known as the “loverboy” method to exploit 34 vulnerable victims, who were coerced into creating pornographic content for online payment. It is claimed that the defendants retained over $2.8 million (approximately 2.5 million euros) earned from these activities.

Furthermore, DIICOT alleges that an unnamed foreign man sexually exploited a 17-year-old girl and made $1.5 million (about 1.3 million euros) from these criminal actions. The same man reportedly engaged in repeated sexual acts with a 15-year-old.

Andrew Tate, who has 9.9 million followers on X, has consistently argued that prosecutors lack evidence against him and suggested that there is a political conspiracy aimed at silencing him. Previously, he has been banned from several social media platforms due to his misogynistic views and hate speech.

Authorities have previously confiscated some of the brothers’ assets. Following their arrest in December 2022, officials seized 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches, and cash in various currencies, with the total value estimated at 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million). In April, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that the prosecutors’ case against them met the necessary legal standards for a trial to commence, although no date has been set yet.

Last month, a court overturned an earlier decision that had allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania while awaiting trial. This latest ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

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Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara.