Romanian authorities have identified 'six victims' in the ongoing Andrew Tate human trafficking case.
The controversial social media personality has been in custody since Romanian police raided his mansion as part of a major operation on 29 December.
Officers seized money and weapons, and arrested the former Big Brother contestant and his brother, Tristan.
Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), the agency behind the investigation, told AP it had searched seven additional houses as part of its ongoing investigation into the case.
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DIICOT spokesperson Ramona Bolla said the raids took place in Bucharest, Ilfov, and Prahova and were carried out 'to obtain further evidence'.
What's more, the agency said it has identified 'six victims' who were subjected to 'acts of physical violence and mental coercion' and were 'sexually exploited' by the members of the alleged crime group.
It said the victims were lured by people 'misrepresenting their intention to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship and the existence of genuine feelings of love (the loverboy method)'.
They were later controlled by acts of physical violence and mental coercion through intimidation, and constant surveillance, and were forced into performing in pornography with the intention of making money for their alleged persecutors.
As part of its statement shared today (12 January), DIICOT said: "We make it clear that during the entire criminal process, the investigated persons benefit from the procedural rights... as well as the presumption of innocence."
The news arrives after Tate lost his latest appeal against the 30 day arrest period that's seen him detained in Romania.
It's alleged that Tate and his brother were part of the crime gang that tricked women into coming to live with him at his mansion in Bucharest before being coerced into creating pornographic content.
Last week, it was confirmed that the pair would be spending the next 30 days behind bars as investigators make further enquiries into the case and their alleged involvement.
The brothers appeared in court on 10 January as part of their appeal against the detention order.
Had they succeeded, they may have been kept under house arrest to prevent them from leaving Romania.
Since Tate's arrest he has been able to continue to be active online, with a number of cryptic posts being made on Twitter.
He denies any wrongdoing and has insinuated that his arrest and the allegations made against him are part of some conspiracy brought about by 'the Matrix'.
He said last week: "The Matrix sent their agents." And in another post, Tate added: "I was made for battle. A warrior of the light.
"My enemies hope to attack me with lies. They try to destroy the family unit, they try to silence any loud opposition.
"I refuse to leave fellow men in the dark. Someone needs to show them the light, Who better than TATE."
Topics: Crime, World News, Andrew Tate
Daisy Phillipson