Law enforcement authorities in Russia are looking into the theft of a large metal railway bridge weighing approximately 60 tons, in Ryazan Region, situated roughly 200km southeast of the country’s capital city of Moscow.
The disappearance of the steel bridge, described as “a massive Soviet-era structure,” was initially brought to light two days ago. It is believed that the bridge had been sold for scrap metal for 1.3 million rubles (about $15,000).
The bridge was originally valued at 300 million rubles (about $3.5 million).
The local railway company had apparently privatized the stolen bridge, providing all the required documentation to prove ownership. Nevertheless, a group of unidentified individuals claimed to have found documents indicating that the bridge was “ownerless”, leading them to dismantle it when negotiations with the rightful owner fell through.
The dismantling operation most likely took several days. The legal owner of the bridge, who was acquainted with the thieves, subsequently requested police authorities to investigate the situation.
Yesterday, the local police department issued a statement confirming that they had received a report regarding the disappearance of a non-operational railway bridge metal structure over a week ago. They also stated that a criminal investigation had been initiated.
The crime scene was captured in photos shared by a Telegram channel, depicting just two massive concrete pylons, all that was left from the bridge, standing tall above a shallow river.
Subsequently, the remnants of the 60-ton bridge emerged at a nearby scrap metal collection site, as reported by Russian Mash Telegram channel. The channel stated that the individual who stole the bridge received 1.3 million rubles ($15,000) in exchange for the metal.
According to local law enforcement, the bridge was not operational and the railway did not fall under the authority of the local government or any other governmental bodies. Local residents apparently utilized the bridge as a convenient route to access neighboring settlements.
The latest heist was not the first crime of its kind in Russia. Metal objects have been a target for theft due to their scrap value, posing a longstanding issue in Russia.
Back on 2019, suspected metal thieves made off with a railway bridge 23m long and weighing 56 tons in Russia’s Arctic region of Murmansk.
And in 2017, a 10-meter-long Soviet-era anti-aircraft rocket detonated at a recycling facility, following its sale for scrap metal.
