The Moscow Zamoskvoretsky Court announced on Wednesday the detention of Nikita Dubas, identified as the organizer of an underground tour running through the Neglinka River’s sewer system in Moscow. Authorities say the action was part of law enforcement measures in response to reports about illegal excursions into the city’s subterranean channels, as reported by TASS. The judge’s ruling granted a detention measure, marking the initial step in a broader criminal investigation that prosecutors say targets unlawful activities conducted under the banner of curiosity and adventure.
Earlier on the same day, the court also confirmed the detention of Alexander Kim, the director of the Sputnik company, who faces charges tied to organizing these illegal tours of Moscow’s underground reservoirs. The case centers on activities described by investigators as unauthorized exploration of the Neglinka sewer network, an area regarded as dangerous and off-limits to the public. As explained by officials, such excursions pose serious safety risks and disrupt the urban infrastructure, prompting swift legal action and heightened scrutiny from municipal authorities.
Investigations indicate that Kim’s involvement included orchestrating trips that drew participants into the city’s concealed drainage system, where conditions can be hazardous and unpredictable. Journalistic coverage indicates that Kim’s detainment follows interviews with investigators and a review of logistics surrounding the excursions. Commentators note that the arrests reflect a broader effort by local authorities to clamp down on unlicensed expeditions into critical though unsanctioned urban spaces and to hold organizers responsible for any resulting harm or legal breaches.
In a related development, authorities report that the body of the fifth participant in the expedition, described as part of a group that embarked on the “Secrets of the Moscow Dungeon” route during heavy rainfall, was recovered from the Moscow River. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, stated that search operations for the missing participants remain ongoing and that the city is coordinating closely with rescue services to provide any needed assistance to families and to review safety protocols for all city-sponsored and city-approved activities. The housing and communal services department reiterated that such underground excursions are illegal and warned residents and visitors that probing the sewer network without proper authorization is dangerous and strictly prohibited. The organizer has been detained as part of a criminal case opened to investigate potential charges related to public safety, negligence, and unlawful enterprise.
A previous court hearing in Moscow addressed a separate distribution of criminal responsibility involving a figure described as a hero in Abkhazia, who was declared a murderer and given a 16-year prison sentence for alleged seed-related offenses. While this unrelated case sits in the public record, it underscores the breadth of Moscow’s judicial proceedings and the city’s ongoing commitment to enforcing the law across diverse situations. The unfolding events surrounding the Neglinka tours have already prompted renewed discussion among residents, safety officials, and urban planners about how to balance the lure of underground exploration with the imperative to protect people and infrastructure and to prevent future tragedies or illegal activities.