BRIDGE HEIST
A 60-foot defunct bridge was stolen in Rohtas district Bihar. Bizarrely enough, it is not the first time somebody has stolen a bridge. It has happened in Ukraine (2004), Pennsylvania (2011), the Czech Republic (2012) Turkey (2013). Each such report left the public stunned and reporters scrambling for synonyms of speechless.
This time around as the guffaws and jokes echo all over social media, I request a few minutes for reflection. While I condemn the thieves, there is something here, something we can learn from. The confidence, innovation, and collaboration, I believe it’s worth a pause for analysis. Let’s try and walk a mile in the shoes of this audacity.
Let me start by saying, scrap metal thievery is quite common in India. Scrap is difficult to trace and can be sold for a quick buck. The bridge in question was declared dangerous some time back. Everyone, in fact, had started to use a concrete bridge nearby. Since that time many had already started to peel away at its metal for scrap. However, the decision to take the entire bridge is a bold step indeed.
So, let’s get to the heist
The robbers had a formulated goal to steal this abandoned bridge.
The next step would have been figuring out the required resources. They needed equipment like- bulldozers, gas cutters, torches, and trucks. Someone must have made a comprehensive list, then figured out how to source them on the needed days.
They would also need to hire people who could work this machinery.
This means hiring a team, with a diverse range of skills, shared purpose, responsibility, and a lot of trust. We are talking about an illegal event, so at the very least they had to trust the team members, to not alert anyone from law enforcement. They probably also had to keep it a secret from others who could steal their idea and the bridge before them. This must have been a careful group of only the required people. The members also needed to feel safe enough with each other to take this huge risk outside the law.
I can only imagine the discussions, and negotiations that went on to organize this team and the affair.
In a heist of this impossible scale, mind turns to the many obstacles they could come against. They had to do this fast while avoiding suspicion. One hurdle was anyone who would step up to ask them who they were and what they were doing. Using foresight, they were ready for this problem. Prepared with the answer “we are hired by the irrigation department to dismantle the bridge”, they satisfied all curious passers-by.
Swiftness was of the essence and executed efficiently. They depended on each other to perform their tasks well and quickly. Thus, everyone worked in tandem to achieve their goal. They cut, torched, and dismantled day and night. In a mere three days, they had uprooted a bridge and carried away 500 tonnes of scrap metal.
As a disclaimer, I must stress that I do not condone bridge thievery, or indeed, thievery of any kind. What I hope to convey through this is how an ambitious goal, albeit an unethical one, can be achieved through collaboration and planning. If a group of thieves can achieve this, with borrowed resources and the entire law enforcement against them, imagine what you can do with ethics on your side, the right tools, gathering good people, and giving them the environment to become a team. Our achievements, backed by ethics, judgment, and collaboration, can be limitless.
References
[1] In Bizarre Robbery, 60-Foot Bridge Stolen In Bihar https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-bizarre-robbery-60-feet-bridge-stolen-in-bihar-rohtas-district-2873380
[2] Stolen a 500 Tonne Steel Bridge in Bihar https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/stolen-a-500-tonne-steel-bridge-in-bihar/articleshow/90736477.cms
[3] The Bridge In Turkey That Vanished Overnight https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/mar/24/bridge-turkey-vanished-overnight
[4] 60 Feet Bridge Stolen in Bihar https://www.firstpost.com/india/60-feet-bridge-stolen-in-bihar-by-thieves-posing-as-govt-officials-twitter-burst-into-meme-fest-10535541.html