The 42-year-old pimp arrested by the Greek FBI had built his network of terror in Athens. Dubbed “The Shorty”, he would track down psychologically fragile and financially weak women, mostly from the countryside, and trap them with promises of a better life in order to exploit them.

The pimp presented himself as a saviour to his victims and had become the most ruthless oppressor of women who dared to trust him. A calm, reassuring voice, promising work, security, money.

For those women struggling with poverty and despair, that voice seemed like a lifeline. In fact, it was a ticket to hell.

He used drugs as a “chain” for his victims

His real weapon was not the connections he touted. It was cocaine. The white powder was becoming a “chain”. He was dosing them, not to “reward” them, but to tie them handcuffed. And when they dared to resist, the punishment was unrelenting: stickings, rapes, humiliations.

According to information from protothema.gr, the 42-year-old sent his victims to villas in Ekali and Glyfada. There they would set up orgy parties with the participation of rich Greek and foreign businessmen. At the same time, through cooperation with a company producing pornographic material, he forced them to become “protagonists” in videos circulating on the Internet, earning him large profits.

To keep them silent, he played on fear. He threatened them that he “has security tips” and “civilian protection”. So, for years, none of them dared to speak. They felt trapped, unable to escape.

The women who managed to break their silence led to his arrest

The silence, however, was eventually broken. Five women rallied, found the strength and went to the police. Their testimonies were shocking. They provided the thread that the police officers of the Organized Crime Division, the “Greek FBI”, had been waiting for.

The investigation began quietly. They had been following him for months, methodically. They recorded phone calls, movements, people he socialized with. Every piece of information that came into the hands of the police was a piece of the puzzle.

The officers realized that they were dealing with not just a pimp, but a man who had set up an entire “industry” of exploitation. With the help of informants and the use of technological means, they managed to tighten the noose.

“We caught the biggest pimp in Athens”

On the morning of September 10, everything was ready. In a district of Athens, the police had set up a stakeout. They saw him coming out of his house, confident as ever. He didn’t have time to take a step. “We’re going down now,” came the order. Seconds later, the 42-year-old was surrounded. The handcuffs were locked on his hands. Over the radio, the phrase spoken captured the weight of the case: “We caught the biggest pimp in Athens”.
“We have the biggest criminal in the city of Athens, the biggest criminal in the city,” he said.

The case, however, is not closed. Police assess that there are many more victims. Already, young women are contacting authorities to testify. The “Greek FBI” is investigating its connections with circles involved in the parties and with companies producing pornographic material.

For years, he seemed invulnerable, hiding behind threats and false identities. Now, however, he finds himself facing justice. And the women who lived through his nightmare are finding the courage for the first time to stand up to him and tell the truth.