Well-known Greek folk singer Notis Sfakianakis was arrested at 8pm Sunday at Vouliagmenis Avenue, Elliniko, during a routine COVID-19 car stop.
During the inspection of his Land Rover, the police asked the singer to open a bag he had with him in the car and it was found to contain an unlicensed 9mm gun, a taser and 2 grams of cocaine.
“It’s what you think it is,” he told police as they perused the cocaine, according to Proto Thema newspaper.
He was immediately arrested and taken to Argyroupolis police station in handcuffs. He will be in custody until tomorrow where he will be led to the prosecutor for possession of drugs and an unlicensed firearm.
“I have a gun because I am in danger,” the singer told police to explain the possession of the firearm. “The license had expired and had not been renewed. The cocaine is for my personal use.”
He told the police to do their job because they do it well.
The singer was travelling in the area during lockdown, however he had sent an SMS and had permission to be travelling.
Sfakianakis is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus, and has numerous fans in Australia where he last visited in 2009. He began his career in 1985 at nightclubs but was discovered by Sony Greece in 1991. He has released a series of multi-platinum albums that are among the most popular songs in Greek music history. His signature song, ‘O Aetos’ (The Eagle), is one of the most popular songs in Greek music history.
READ MORE: Notis Sfakianakis live in Melbourne
Along with success in music, Sfakianakis is known for his controversial image and outspoken nature. In the late Nineties, he said in an interview that cannabis should be legalised in Greece and had admitted that he had been a habitual user of cannabis, stating that it is equally, if not less harmful, than legally distributed substances like tobacco or alcohol.
He had also made statements in support of Golden Dawn and had objected to the imprisonment of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Mihaliolakis in statements that resulted in the discontinuance of his on-stage collaboration with Despina Vandi with the singer having stated that she, coming from an immigrant family, was deeply insulted by his support of the group.