PENZA, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - Police foiled an attempt by scrap metal thieves to steal an eight-ton pontoon-bridge in Russia's central Penza Region, a local authority spokesman said on Monday.

The bridge was dismantled and loaded onto a truck Saturday, which was later stopped by police en route to Penza. The driver said he had been promised 8,000 rubles ($340) to deliver the bridge.

A police investigation has been launched to try and trace the thieves, who told the driver they were engineering workers.

High global prices for metal have led to an explosion in scrap metal thefts in Russia and across the world. The Penza Region was also hit last year, when another bridge was stolen by daring thieves. Although the offenders were eventually traced, the authorities were forced to replace the bridge as the metal structure had already been melted down for scrap.