Petros Drolias has worked as a licensed private investigator in Greece since the early 1990s, under licence no. 4891/7/1/90-δ’. Over more than three decades, the office has handled more than 1,500 cases in 14 countries, for private individuals, businesses, law firms, insurance companies and shipping companies. The office is at 104 Aiolou Street in central Athens, a few minutes' walk from Omonia metro station, and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This page explains who we are, how we work and why so many clients, in Greece and abroad, trust a private investigator in Athens with matters they would not discuss with anyone else.
Three decades of investigative experience
When Petros Drolias started out, investigation meant notebooks, payphones and long hours of patient observation. Much has changed since then: open-source intelligence, digital forensics and online threats are now part of daily work. What has not changed is the core of the profession, namely careful observation, verified facts and absolute discretion.
That long experience matters in practice. It means knowing which questions to ask in the first meeting, recognising when a client's fear is out of proportion to the facts, and understanding how evidence will be viewed by a lawyer, a judge or an insurer. It also means a network of trusted collaborators built over many years, which allows the office to work all over Greece and abroad.
Who we work for
Our clients come from very different backgrounds, and that variety shapes how we work.
Individuals and families come to us with personal matters: doubts about a partner, a planned marriage, an inheritance dispute, a missing relative or a worrying change in a teenager. These cases call for empathy as much as skill.
Businesses need due diligence on partners, investigations into fraud or leaks, protection against counterfeiting and counter-surveillance before sensitive meetings. They need speed, discretion and reports that a board can act on.
Lawyers instruct us to gather evidence, trace witnesses and debtors and research backgrounds for civil, family, commercial and criminal proceedings.
Insurance companies ask us to verify suspicious claims fairly and lawfully. Shipping companies, many of them based around Piraeus, rely on us for cargo, crew and chartering matters with a Greek dimension.
International clients form an important part of this picture: expats living in Greece, foreign nationals with Greek family or property, overseas law firms with a matter in Greece and foreign companies doing business here. We work with them in English and understand the extra uncertainty of dealing with a situation in another country.
Lawful methods, always
A private investigator is only as useful as the evidence he can lawfully deliver. Greek law is clear: Article 19 of the Constitution protects the privacy of communications, and Article 19(3) provides that illegally obtained evidence cannot be used. Article 370A of the Penal Code criminalises illegal interception and recording. The GDPR and Greek Law 4624/2019 govern how personal data is collected and processed.
We therefore do not tap phones, hack accounts or devices, read other people's messages, place GPS trackers on another adult's car or obtain bank, tax, telecom or police data. Instead, we use observation in public places, public registries and records, open-source research, interviews and lawful field enquiries. Clients sometimes ask for shortcuts; we explain why they would harm their own case and propose a lawful alternative that works.
Confidentiality and discretion
People come to us at difficult moments. Some have not told anyone else, not even close family. Confidentiality is therefore not a slogan but a working method: limited access to case files, careful communication, no unnecessary records and discreet field work that does not expose the client.
We also respect the people we investigate. Discretion protects them from unnecessary harm and protects our clients from the consequences of careless or aggressive tactics.
Honest advice
Not every concern needs an investigation. Sometimes the most useful outcome of a first consultation is advice: that a lawyer should be consulted first, that the police must be informed immediately, or that the question can be answered more simply than the client feared. We would rather give that advice than sell an investigation that is not needed.
When an investigation is justified, we are equally clear about what it can and cannot achieve. We do not promise results that depend on chance or on other people's decisions. We promise a lawful plan, a written cost estimate before work begins, regular updates and a report you can rely on.
Working in Greece and abroad
The office is based in Athens, but our work is not limited to the capital. We cover Piraeus, Thessaloniki and every region of Greece, from the large cities to small islands where discretion requires particular care. Through a network of collaborators we have worked on cases in 14 countries, which is especially useful for families and businesses whose lives cross borders.
How we work
The steps below describe how a typical case progresses, from your first contact to the final report. Every case is different, but the principles of clarity, legality and confidentiality stay the same throughout.
Get in touch
The first consultation is free, confidential and without obligation. Call us 24/7, send a confidential message through our contact page or book a consultation at our office in Athens or by video call. You can also browse our services or read our frequently asked questions.