The recruiter known as “Vicentios” was on the radar of the National Intelligence Service (EYP) – What the accused claimed during his testimony
A 59-year-old ethnic Greek from Georgia was remanded in custody on Friday, May 2, 2025, accused of espionage on behalf of Russian intelligence. He was arrested in Alexandroupoli on April 29, following a months-long investigation by the National Intelligence Service (EYP).
According to authorities, the 59-year-old had been recruited by a man known as “Vicentios,” a notorious ethnic Greek residing in Kordelio, Thessaloniki, who had been under surveillance by EYP since August 2024. “Vicentios” reportedly has a criminal background both in Greece and abroad and was allegedly arrested in Lithuania in March 2025. Lithuanian authorities found photos on his mobile phone sent by the 59-year-old painter, which led them to alert the Greek authorities and initiate the investigation.
In his defense, the suspect denied the charges, claiming the material he shared was publicly available and not a threat to national security. However, evidence reportedly shows he had been recording military installations in northern Greece and sending detailed reports to his recruiter.
Unconfirmed reports suggest a relative, possibly his son, serves in a military unit in Crete, potentially acting as an indirect source of sensitive information.
The 59-year-old, who came to Greece in the 1990s, had been working as a painter and had never previously attracted the attention of authorities. The case is being closely monitored by Greek security services, given Alexandroupoli’s increasing strategic importance in the geopolitical landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean.