A raid targeting fare evaders on public transport took place near the “Teply Stan” metro station in Moscow on June 4th. The operation involved controllers and police officers positioned at the exit of transport, differing from standard checks that occur within the vehicles.

The raid aimed to reduce fare evasion, which is reported to be at 22% in the area near Teply Stan metro station. During the operation, bus drivers allegedly turned off validators as passengers approached the stop, preventing retroactive payment. Passengers were then met by controllers with portable scanners (PUSK) to verify fare payment.

Those who could not provide proof of payment faced a fine of 2,000 rubles. Disputes arose when the scanners failed to register valid payments, particularly with bank cards. Passengers were asked to provide SMS confirmation or transaction history from their bank, or call customer support to verify the payment.

Some passengers expressed outrage at the scale of the checks, stating they felt like criminals. Twenty-four violators of migration laws were also identified and detained. One aggressive fare dodger was taken to the police station after behaving inappropriately with the controllers.