A nightmarish experience was endured by the son of a well-known Athens businessman, who became the victim of a violent kidnapping by four men, among them the well-known trapper Ivan Greko.

The four kidnappers, who extorted money from the son of the Athenian businessman, were arrested by officers of the Organized Crime Directorate, who carried out operations in three different locations in Athens.

The trapper, Ivan Greko

How he was kidnapped
According to reports, in the early morning hours of May 6th in the Ymittos area, three of the five perpetrators used physical violence, striking the victim’s lower limbs with a sharp object, and threatened the life of the businessman’s son, who is also active in the business.

During the journey, after switching vehicles, the perpetrators demanded that the 24-year-old pay the amount of €25,000 and additionally hand over a BMW motorcycle worth at least €25,000, while also beating him with their hands and a sharp object all over his body.

The nightmarish hours and his escape
In the area of Saronida, where the three perpetrators and the victim stopped, they met with the fourth perpetrator, who was riding a motorcycle. The threats then continued with the use of a firearm on a nearby beach.

After five hours, the young man was forced to speak on the phone with people he knew in order to gather the demanded money. The ruthless perpetrators attempted to cut off the victim’s fingers using a cutter, but did not complete the act as the 24-year-old strongly resisted.

The perpetrators then departed with the victim, intending to go to Glyfada to collect part of the ransom. During the journey, the victim escaped from them and alerted a friend.

They continued to threaten him online
Up to that point, the perpetrators had already taken the keys to his car, a wireless charger, €740 in cash, and a luxury branded watch valued between €20,000 and €29,000. The harassment continued in the following days with messages and videos through online applications.

On the night of May 22, police units were deployed in various parts of Attica. After locating all the members of the criminal organization, they immobilized them and brought them to the police, where they were arrested.

The “tiger kidnapping” method
A key element of the criminal organization’s modus operandi is the use of violence or the threat of it in a way that implies a desire to punish or “discipline” the victims. It is indicative that the members acted with a strong element of revenge, confirming the systematic and organized nature of their actions.

The abduction of the 24-year-old bears characteristics of the so-called “tiger kidnapping,” a type of abduction where the victim is held under pressure and threats in order to be forced to comply with the financial demands of the perpetrators, without raising suspicion or alerting authorities.

In such cases, according to police sources, the victim is subjected to intense physical and psychological violence, in order to extort money and property.

In this particular case, the perpetrators acted in an organized and methodical manner, with distinct roles and preparatory actions, aiming for immediate financial gain. The persistence and intensity of the means they used – violence, threats with weapons, an attempt to mutilate – indicate that the main motive behind the abduction was the illegal financial exploitation of the victim.