Police in Romania have raided the home of the British-American social media influencer Andrew Tate and announced he faces several new charges.

The Special Prosecution Service of the Romanian Organised Crime Directorate said police searched Tate's four properties in the capital Bucharest on Wednesday morning.

The new charges include sex with and trafficking in underage persons.

They also include money laundering and attempting to influence witnesses.

Now Andrew Tate has previously denied, along with his brother, earlier charges including human trafficking.

Let's speak to our Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe.

Nick, what is the very latest that the Romanian authorities are telling us?

Yes, well we have this statement as you say from the main prosecution, the Special Prosecution Service, that they carried out these raids.

They did not actually name Andrew Tate or his brother Tristan in that press release but we understand from Romanian sources that those were the targets of those raids and what is the new development really is the mentioning of other charges of sex with a minor, trafficking with a minor, attempts to influence witnesses in the already existing charges.

So these are all new developments specifically on the Romanian charges.

The British police also want to speak to Andrew Tate.

They've asked for his transfer from Romania but they've also accepted that the Romanian charges will be dealt with.

Any legal proceedings in Romania which are completely separate and unrelated to anything, any charges or any investigation going on in the United Kingdom.

This of course has been a long-running saga in Romania.

They were first detained in 2022 but at the moment they were released from house arrest but they're not allowed to leave the country, are they?

That's right, yes.

They were first arrested at the end of December 2022 so this is really a long-running case now.

Initially they were detained in prison.

That was softened to house arrest in August 2023 so just exactly a year ago they were released from house arrest but not allowed to leave the country.

Their lawyers have been fighting for the right for them to travel again freely and the brothers have insisted on their innocence throughout all of this.

They say these are trumped-up charges against them and they say that they are sure that they will be cleared eventually.

The Romanian prosecutors from their point continue to press charges as we're seeing now with these new charges today.

We know this has only broken in the last hour or so.

Has there been any comment from the Tait brothers or their representatives?

Not yet.

The Tait brothers' lawyers have been keen all along this to maintain contact with the media and with the Romanian authorities.

They say that they're interested in cooperating closely with the legal authorities and are sure that they will eventually be proved innocent in this case.

Mick Thorpe with the Very Latest, thank you.