Nine People Facing Charges in Canada's Largest Gold Theft

Published: 17 April 2024 at 17:40

Crime

Nine individuals, including an Air Canada warehouse employee, a former Air Canada manager, and a jewelry store owner, are facing charges in the theft of 6,600 gold bars worth over 20 million Canadian dollars from Toronto's Pearson International airport. The stolen gold was melted down and used to purchase illegal firearms. The heist involved a truck driver arriving at the airport's cargo warehouse with a fraudulent bill, facilitated by individuals within Air Canada. Peel Regional Police described it as the biggest gold theft in Canadian history.

DEEP DIVE

Arrests Made in $14.5 Million Gold Theft From Toronto Airport

Police have arrested individuals in connection with the theft of a cargo container containing gold and other items worth over 20 million Canadian dollars ($14.5 million) from Toronto's Pearson International Airport a year ago. The theft involved presenting a fake document to Air Canada, leading to the disappearance of 400 kilograms of gold and nearly $2 million in cash. Brinks, the cash handling company, sued Air Canada over the incident, with Air Canada denying any wrongdoing and citing the Montreal Convention to limit liability.

Toronto Pearson International Airport heist (Wikipedia)

On April 17, 2023, a grand theft occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada, with over C$20 million (US$15 million) worth of gold and other high-value items being stolen. In the evening of Monday, April 17, a container which contained the items was offloaded off an inbound aircraft according to normal procedures and transferred to an airport holding facility before it was "removed by illegal means", according to Peel Regional Police. An anonymous source familiar with the investigation confirmed to CTV News Toronto that the container was offloaded off an Air Canada aircraft and was subsequently transferred to an Air Canada holding facility at Pearson Airport, but this has not been confirmed by Peel Regional Police. No suspects have been identified.The gold was bound for the Canadian bank Toronto-Dominion Bank while the cash was enroute to the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange.

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