The reaction of an electron-rich transition metal M (M = Ru, Rh, Ir), tellurium and TeX ₄ (X = Cl, Br, I) resulted in black crystals of five ternary coordination polymers with the general composition [M ^III(Te ₆)]X ₃ (M = Rh, Ir) and of the molecular cluster compound [Ru ^II ₂(Te ₆)](Te ^IIBr ₃) ₄(Te ^IIBr ₂) ₂. X-ray diffraction on single-crystals revealed that the compounds [M(Te ₆)]X ₃ crystallize isostructurally in the trigonal space group type R$\bar{3}$c. In their crystal structures linear, positively charged [M ^III(Te ₆)] chains form the motif of a hexagonal rod packing. In the chain, each of the formally uncharged Te ₆ molecules with chair conformation acts as a bis-tridentate bridging ligand to two M atoms. The octahedrally coordinated M atoms are spiro atoms in the chain of trans vertices sharing heterocubane fragments. Including the isolated halide ions, which provide charge balance, the entire arrangement resembles a cut-out of the α-polonium structure type.In the monoclinic compound Ru ₂Te ₁₂Br ₁₆ (space group P2 ₁/n), the ruthenium atoms of the hetero-cubane core of the molecular cluster [Ru ₂(Te ₆)](TeBr ₃) ₄(TeBr ₂) ₂ are saturated by terminal bromidotellurate(II) groups. Again, the Te ₆ ring is formally uncharged. With the tellurium atoms acting as electron-pair donors the 18 electron rule is fulfilled for the M atoms in all compounds.