A gang of crafty scrap metal thieves pulled off the unlikely heist by pretending to be irrigation officials when they dismantled and decamped with a 500-ton iron bridge in eastern India.

The robbing of the bridge was reported last Wednesday in the state of Bihar, one of the poorest in the country.

Police officer Subhash Kumar told reporters that the thieves came in the guise of government irrigation officials.

“They brought bulldozers and gas cutters and tore apart the structure before escaping with the booty over two days. They took away the scrap in a heavy vehicle,” he said.

According to reports, the thieves had been chipping away at the 50-year-old structure — built over a water canal — ever since another bridge nearby was opened to the public five years ago.

Police said no arrests had been made as they continued investigation into the bizarre incident. – arabnews.com