A woman in St. Petersburg is suspected of stealing 1.6 million rubles from a tourist, a case that has drawn attention across the region. Fontanka reported this development, citing information from the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The incident unfolded on Nevsky Prospekt, one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, and only recently came to light as investigators traced the events that followed the initial report.
The foreign visitor contacted local police the day after the alleged theft, explaining that on the preceding day someone had taken 1,675,000 rubles along with important documents and a set of headphones. The loss occurred in a crowded, high-traffic area, underscoring how quickly casual encounters can turn into security concerns for travelers. The police promptly opened a criminal case and initiated a careful review of surveillance footage from nearby cameras, looking for any sign of how the crime was carried out and who might be involved.
During the initial stages of the inquiry, investigators observed that a woman was employed as a cleaner for a nearby organization. She was seen on the porch during the morning of the 26th performing routine duties, at a moment when the tourist later reported the loss. This detail helped establish a timeline and raised questions about access to the building and to the money itself. In interviews conducted by detectives, the tourist described a pattern of suspicious behavior that took place in the hours surrounding the incident, and authorities began to examine whether the cleaner’s presence correlated with the discovery of the bag containing money in the shared space.
Further information revealed that, at the time of the alleged offense, the cleaner was not in compliance with local immigration rules, a factor that has complicated the case and added a layer of scrutiny to the suspect’s movements in the days preceding the incident. The foreigner who reported the theft stated that the money found its way to the cleaner’s family during a transfer to Dushanbe, raising questions about potential motives and the possibility of broader network involvement. Police have pursued these threads alongside standard forensic work, including checks of digital communications and cross-referencing the cleaner’s routine with known visits to the area on and after the date of the incident.
As the investigation advanced, authorities confirmed that the suspect had been detained and subsequently admitted to involvement in the crime under investigation. The confession, combined with physical and documentary evidence gathered during the inquiry, has shaped the case’s trajectory and informed the next steps in prosecution. The collaboration between patrol units, criminal investigators, and forensics teams has been instrumental in constructing a coherent account of events on that September morning, from the moment the cleaner arrived at the building to the moment the bag was noticed by security personnel on the premises.
A separate incident in Ulan-Ude has also come to light, where a man previously decided to accept a fraudulent offer and ended up transferring 21 million rubles to scammers. This parallel highlight serves as a reminder of how local crime can mirror broader patterns, underscoring the importance of vigilance, verification, and rapid reporting in preventing large-scale financial losses. In both cases, the role of security measures, timely police response, and clear communication with authorities remains central to resolving allegations, safeguarding travelers, and reinforcing trust in public safety services.