Police detained a 21-year-old guide in St. Petersburg after he led a walking tour across rooftops on Nevsky Prospekt, the city's Investigative Committee told Lenta.ru.
Authorities also took away a 29-year-old man from the Tula region for investigative procedures, saying he had organized the illegal tours. Police released video showing a group following the young guide through an attic and up stairways onto a roof.
How police caught the tours
Officers posing as tourists tracked down the group through advertisements offering "exclusive" rooftop walks, the St. Petersburg branch of Russia's Interior Ministry said. Organizers charged 1,500 rubles per person and provided no safety equipment for participants.
Police said they are investigating how the guide obtained unrestricted access to the rooftops.
Criminal case opened
Investigators opened a criminal case under Article 238 of Russia's Criminal Code, covering the provision of services that fail to meet life and health safety requirements by a group acting in prior conspiracy. The ministry said such tours endanger tourists' lives and health.
St. Petersburg police previously detained a 20-year-old student for illegally running similar rooftop tours in the city center.
