Master cat-burglar Boris Rodionov -- now behind bars -- eluded the city's police for six months, cleaning out 36 St Petersburg flats.
But after Rodionov's 10th break-in detectives, noting a pattern developing, realized they were facing a one-man crime wave.
Investigating officer Major Stanislav Franchuk said that the flat burglar worked quickly and professionally.
"In my 20 years of police work I can't remember a single case in which one thief committed 36 consecutive burglaries without being caught," he said.
"After each burglary we could hardly find any clue that might help us get on his track."
Rodionov later told them that he had confined his "work" to five-story Khrushchev-era apartment blocks. In that type of block, apartment entrance doors are weak enough to be jimmied open with ease, he explained.
At even the slightest hint that the inhabitants might be absent, he would tape over the front door peep-hole with sticky tape and check the absence (or presence) of people inside by ringing the doorbell for long periods.
He would then jimmy open the door and strip the flat of valuables, starting with video and stereo equipment, and working his way down to lesser items -- such as the victim's clothes.
Major Franchuk believes Rodionov obtained hundreds of millions of roubles (tens of thousands of dollars) over a six month period by selling the stolen items to kiosk vendors for half their real value.
The raid on Rodionov's apartment, during which he was arrested, netted a few stolen items, plus a quantity of marijuana. Police would not reveal how they eventually traced Rodionov to his lair.
Charges against him carry penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, plus mandatory confiscation of all personal property.
If found guilty and sentenced it will be Rodionov's third trip to Russia's far flung prison camps.
Rodionov said he had been motivated by his desire to get money to support his lover and year-old son.
"With my criminal record I had huge problems finding any suitable work when I was released from prison in 1992," Rodionov said.
"It's a bad excuse, but if the State provided rehabilitation programs for former prisoners, I could have avoided turning to this means of earning money for my family."