The films get it wrong. A real ιδιωτικός ερευνητής does not pick locks, tap phones or chase people through the streets. The job is quieter than that — and more useful. Petros Drolias has been at it in Athens since the early 1990s — licence 4891/7/1/90-δ', more than 1,500 cases behind him. Here is what the job really involves, and what it does not.

Myth: They Break the Law to Get Results

The opposite is true. An ιδιωτικός ερευνητής works within the law — because evidence gathered illegally is worthless. The Constitution's Article 19 keeps communications secret, and evidence obtained illegally is worth nothing in court. The methods are legal ones: public-space observation, public-source research, on-site work, and conversations with people who agree to talk. If a method would break the law, a serious investigator will not use it — no matter what the client asks for.

Myth: They Tap Phones and Hack Accounts

No. This is the most common misunderstanding, and the most dangerous one. No detective can legally tap a phone or read someone else's messages, and anyone who promises to do so is exposing the client to criminal liability under Article 370A of the Penal Code. An ιδιωτικός ερευνητής collects facts that can be used — not secrets obtained by breaking the law. The distinction matters: legally collected evidence can be used by your lawyer; illegally obtained material cannot, and it can land you in court as a defendant.

Myth: They Work Alone in the Shadows

An ιδιωτικός ερευνητής is a licensed professional with a real office — this one at Aiolou 104, near Omonia station, in the centre of Athens. Petros Drolias handles every case personally, but he works with a network of associates across Greece and abroad, and the office picks up around the clock, seven days a week. There is nothing shadowy about it: the licence is on show at the first meeting, the office is there to visit, and the first conversation is free and confidential.

Myth: They Guarantee Results

No honest investigator guarantees an outcome. What an ιδιωτικός ερευνητής guarantees is the process: a free first discussion, an honest legal check, a written plan and cost estimate before any work starts, updates during the investigation, and a written report at the end. The report sets out what was found — separating what was established from what is estimated — and your lawyer decides how to use it. The promise is not a particular result; it is honest work, documented properly.

The Reality

The reality of an ιδιωτικός ερευνητής is careful and methodical — not dramatic. A case starts with a conversation, follows a written plan, and ends with a documented report. The investigator observes, researches, documents — and tells you the truth about what was found, whether or not it is what you hoped to hear. That is what 30 years of practice looks like: not film chases, but careful work that stands up. To begin, contact an ιδιωτικός ερευνητής today.