Russian truck driver suspected of stealing bridge

A goods vehicle driver from Russia's Ryazan Region, to the southeast of Russia's capital, is suspected of stealing a five-metre metal bridge from a local river, a local police spokesman said.

"A five-metre metal bridge over the Yaroslavka River was stolen, but the thief was successfully traced following a manhunt," he said.

Investigators said the 45-year-old suspect is believed to have dislocated the bridge in the region's Shilovo District and carried it away using a vehicle owned by the utilities company he works for. He then sawed it up, and intended to sell it to a scrap yard, the spokesman said.

"This is the largest object to be stolen this year," the spokesman said. A police investigation is ongoing.