Brazen Bridge Heist Trends Worldwide

In a daring heist in April 2012, a gang of Czech metal thieves managed to steal a 10-ton bridge in broad daylight by presenting forged paperwork at a depot in Slavkov, Czech Republic. They claimed to have been hired to demolish the bridge to make way for a new cycle route. Astonishingly, railway officials fell for the ruse and allowed the thieves to pass. The stolen metal was valued at around $6,300, but the cost of replacing the bridge could run into the millions. This audacious crime was part of a global trend of costly bridge thefts, including a 22-ton bridge stolen in Turkey and a group of thieves in India who took half a bridge. These thefts underscored the widespread issue of metal theft, which has significant financial repercussions for victims.